Auditor General Nancy Gathungu has pleaded with corrupt state officers to invest their proceeds of corruption back into the country.
Speaking at a Nairobi hotel on Tuesday, February 21, during the launch of Transparency International Kenya’s (TI) new Strategic Plan 2022-2028, the auditor General called for the initiation of a campaign that will see all stolen monies invested in the country of origin.
“Perhaps we should start a campaign that says if you steal it and you are able to get away with it, invest it in the country where it is stolen. If you steal it from Kenyans, invest it in Kenya,” she declared.
She said although it will look awkward it will not only help the governments across the continent to easily investigate and hold culprits accountable but also scale up development projects in the country.
“It sounds very strange, but perhaps we could then see development taking place in our country and then later we ask the question, where did you get it from?” she added.
It is worth noting that several leaders in Kenya have been accused of stealing money and stashing it abroad in a move that has denied the country the much-needed resources to stimulate development.
She further indicated that as Auditor Generals from the African continent, they have resolved to carry out joint and coordinated to seal all corruption loopholes.
“If there was no safe space to hide, to stash, or to invest and thereby giving legitimacy for laundry services to illicit financial flows, where would this illegally acquired and stolen money be kept?” she posed.
The auditor further termed illicit financial flows a threat to development, especially among developing nations.
“Corruption and lack of accountability have negatively affected our progress towards the attainment of our national development plan and Kenya’s blueprint on development, Vision 2030, and more so the prioritized critical areas that speak to the very lives and livelihoods of the citizens,” Gathungu added.
