EACC: Politicians branding public projects with personal images face prosecution

EACC CEO Abdi Mohamoud/FILE

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has warned politicians that they face prosecution for branding publicly funded projects with their images.

EACC says its unethical and a violation of the law for an individual to claim personal credit through imposing their images, names or political party colours on projected financed using taxpayers’ money.

The anti-graft body is now asking the leaders who include County Governors, Members of Parliament and Members of County Assemblies to desist from the tradition and remove their personal identities from the projects or face prosecution.  

MPs have been the most notorious by branding projects such as police stations, school buildings, school buses with their names and images.

Following concerns raised by the public in the past, some MPs while appropriately indicating that the project was funded by National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF), they still include their names or images with a caption of patron.  

“The commission’s attention has been drawn to an emerging trend of branding public projects and programmes with names, images, or symbols of specific individuals, political parties, or leaders,” EACC says in a public notice appearing in Tuesday’s MyGov publication.

The agency said that various reports received by the Commission indicate that certain political leaders have consistently branded public funded projects and programmes with their personal names, images and/or symbols.

“While recognition of public service is important, branding of publicly funded projects and programmes with the identities of political office holders amounts to abuse of office, misuse of public resources and unethical conduct contrary to Articles 10, 73 and 75, 201(d) of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, Public Finance Management Act, 2012 and the Leadership and Integrity Act, 2012,” EACC Chief Executive Officer Abdi Mohamud said.

He says the constitution sets out clear guiding principles on leadership and integrity, emphasising that state and public officers shall; act in a manner that promotes public interest over personal or political gain, uphold transparency and accountability in the management of public resources and maintain high standards of integrity in the discharge of their duties.

“In light of the foregoing, the commission advises: State and public officers to refrain from using public resources to promote personal, political, or partisan interests,” the EACC boss aid.

“Public entities to take proactive action to ensure public projects and programmes do not bear the names, images, portraits, or symbols of serving state or public officers, political leaders, or political parties prior to commencement, during implementation or after completion.”

EACC has directed the relevant implementing public entities or agencies to ensure that where recognition is necessary, it must only reflect the responsible government entity and clearly indicate whether the project or programme is supported by the National or County Government, without including personal identifiers or portraits.

“All State and public officers to strictly adhere to this Directive. The Commission will closely monitor adherence, and violations may attract administrative or legal sanctions,” Mohamud said.