𝑩𝒚 𝑱𝒐𝒉𝒏 𝑵𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒂/𝑮𝑷𝑼
Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka has issued a rallying call to senior county officials to spearhead the fight against corruption, vowing zero tolerance for unethical conduct within his administration.
Speaking during the opening of a high-level sensitization integrity and anti-corruption workshop for county leadership, Governor Lusaka emphasized the urgent need for public officers to uphold Chapter Six of the Constitution and embed integrity into daily governance. The training, facilitated by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), drew participation from County Executive Committee (CEC) members, chief officers, and officials from the County Public Service Board.
“This workshop comes at a critical time,” Lusaka told the gathering. “The people of Bungoma expect and deserve a government that is ethical, transparent, and accountable. And that culture must begin with us, the leaders.”
The governor underscored the need for a sustained and deliberate commitment to integrity, warning that corruption, favoritism, and negligence would not be tolerated under his watch. He challenged the officials to take personal responsibility in building systems that safeguard public resources and restore public trust.
“Let me be clear,” Lusaka said. “Compliance with ethical standards is not a one-off event. It is a daily commitment — a way of life.”
The EACC Western Region Manager, Mr. Eric Ngumbi, who also addressed the workshop, identified the major corruption hotspots prevalent in county governments. These included solicitation of bribes, conflict of interest, illegal acquisition of unexplained wealth, and collusion in land grabbing cases — often involving county officers intentionally weakening legal cases to protect culprits.
Ngumbi revealed that some government officials have been complicit in land grabbing schemes, colluding with private individuals to illegally sell public land. “They then pretend to initiate court cases, which they deliberately sabotage to frustrate justice,” he said.
He further raised the alarm over a disturbing trend where both national and county governments take advantage of the end-of-financial-year rush to push through questionable payments. “The Commission is aware of instances where fictitious payments are slipped in during this period,” he noted.
Addressing junior staff, Ngumbi cautioned against the practice of collecting imprests on behalf of their superiors. “Imprests should be issued directly to the officers making the request,” he emphasized.
On allegations that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission is politically biased, Ngumbi firmly dismissed the claims. “Of the ten governors charged so far, they come from all political sides. This is not about politics—it’s about accountability,” he said.
Ngumbi affirmed that the commission is actively monitoring these issues and remains vigilant in exposing and prosecuting offenders.
Governor Lusaka, while pledging his personal commitment to lead by example, reminded the leadership that ethical governance cannot be delegated.
“The war on corruption doesn’t start with EACC,” he said. “It begins with us — with the choices we make and how we lead.”
The Governor urged all participants to fully engage in the workshop, reflect deeply on their responsibilities, and emerge as “champions of integrity” in their respective departments.
As Bungoma pushes to become a model county in ethical leadership, the message from Lusaka was unequivocal: the era of impunity is over, and accountability must define public service.
