The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has reminded newly elected and appointed public officers that they must declare their wealth within 30 days.
Declarations of wealth allow the EACC to determine whether a public officer has improperly enriched himself or herself while in office.
Theoretically this information is already public but in reality it can only be obtained through a legal request stating the reason for the application. The wealth of our leaders remains opaque and hidden. It remains safe to enrich yourself.
The recent election was perhaps the most transparent ever because the IEBC posted all Form 34As on a public portal in real time for everyone to see. Now the petitioners are arguing whether those forms are genuine or not. This should determine the success or failure of the petitions.
We need something similar for wealth declarations. They should all be posted on a public portal by the EACC. Then the public can look at those declarations to see whether public officers have declared all their assets. Then if they have not, or if they have accumulated unexplained wealth, the EACC can be informed and they can be prosecuted.
Quote of the day: "I don't go by the rule book... I lead from the heart, not the head."
Princess Diana
She died in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997
