The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) put on notice professionals either directly or indirectly facilitating schemes for the looting of funds meant for Kenyans.

EACC says that Kenyans expect professionals in the country to use their knowledge and expertise to advance public good but not to facilitate corruption or any other conduct harmful to citizens.

Speaking in Mombasa during the closure of a one-week workshop for procurement professionals, EACC Spokesperson Eric Ngumbi said that laws governing professional bodies should ensure that members perform their duties, wherever they work, in strict compliance with established ethical standards.

However, he says, many professional bodies have done little to improve the ethical standing of their members.

Specifically, by tolerating corrupt conduct among their members, EACC said, most professional bodies have not lived up to their calling as stakeholders in the national quest for good governance.

“Kenyan professionals including engineers, lawyers, procurement practitioners, surveyors, land valuers, accountants, auditors and bankers have, in a big way, contributed to the destruction that corruption has done to the country by being the brains behind all complex corruption scandals,” Ngumbi said.

EACC investigations

He revealed that according to EACC investigations done over the years, there is no single white-collar corruption scandal that can be effectively planned or executed without the input of a professional. Some professionals mastermind corruption scandals as primary perpetrators while others assist merchants of corruption in covering the train of corruption transactions.

“EACC will, therefore, strengthen partnerships with professionals through their regulatory bodies with a view to fostering integrity among their members and enlisting them as champions and carriers of the anti-corruption agenda,” he added.

“By virtue of their duties, professionals and their regulatory bodies have great potential to significantly reduce the prevalence of corruption in Kenya.”

As part of addressing the menace, Ngumbi urged Universities to introduce mandatory ethics and integrity course units to ensure that their graduates acquire ethical competencies before they are released to different work environments.