By PATRICK MAYOYO
Hundreds of imported cars await to be cleared at a local Clearing
Freight Station (CFS) in Mombasa after being off-loaded from a ship at
the port of Mombasa. More than 2,000 cars worth over Sh4 billion are set
to be be destroyed because they were more than eight years old when
they were imported.
More than 2,000 cars worth over Sh4
billion are set to be be destroyed because they were more than eight
years old when they were imported.
The Ethics and
Anti-Corruption Commission has ordered the vehicles seized at the
Mombasa port crushed as it takes the war against corruption to various
entry points into the country.
In an exclusive
interview with the Daily Nation, commission chairman Mumo Matemu said
investigations were going on to establish how and why the vehicles were
allowed into Kenya despite the ban on importation of used cars which are
more than eight years old.
Although Mr Matemu could
not give the number of vehicles the commission had seized, sources at
the Mombasa port said more than 2,000 vehicles were being held.
“We
are working with the Ministry of Transport to stop importation of used
cars exceeding eight years but so far we are going to destroy those
already in the country to send a strong message to those flouting
regulations,” he said.
It is not clear how the vehicles
were cleared by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) given that the Kenya
Bureau of Standards has contracted an independent inspection company in
Japan, Japan Export Vehicle Inspection Center (JEVIC), to inspect all
vehicles leaving that country for sale in Kenya.
He
said anti-corruption agents would be posted to all entry points,
including airports and border points, to curb diversion of transit goods
into the local market and other illegal activities. “These offices will
not only help us check corrupt activities but also human trafficking
and illegal entry of foreigners,” he said.
The
commission has launched various preventive programmes targeting
different sectors as it seeks public support in the war against
corruption.
“We are deepening our preventive strategy
by engaging Kenyans in the fight against corruption and we want them to
come out and say they are ready to take a risk and volunteer to
spearhead this campaign,” he said.
Besides the over-age vehicles, the commission has also been carrying out investigations on new and old corruption cases.
CORRUPTION FILES
“We
have active files on Anglo-Leasing security contracts, Goldenberg
scandal, Charterhouse Bank money laundering claims, election equipment
tenders, cranes tender at the Mombasa port, the Standard Gauge Railway,
NSSF tenders, NHIF civil servants medical cover, among others,” he said.
He,
however, declined to give details on how far the investigations have
gone saying, “EACC avoids commenting on active files due to legal
implications”.
The commission has called a meeting
tomorrow to discuss the regulations on the Leadership and Integrity Act
before it comes into force.
The EACC plans to
operationise Chapter Six of the Constitution on Leadership and
Integrity, which provides for ethical behaviour for state and public
officers.
The regulations prescribe what types of
gifts a State officer can receive, their maximum value, collection,
storage and disposal. They also provide guidelines on the opening and
maintaining registers of conflict of interest, the grounds and
conditions for opening, registering, maintaining, controlling and
closing bank accounts outside Kenya and mechanisms on lodging
complaints, investigations, disciplinary processes and the enforcement
of the ethics and anti-corruption code.
“We have also developed the first EACC strategic plan which is set to be launched by President Kenyatta on March 18,” he said.
He
welcomed the anti-corruption initiatives that counties such as Kisumu,
Nakuru, Kisii and Kitui have come up with to establish corruption
preventive units.
As part of its public awareness
campaign, the commission will enter into partnerships with different
stakeholders to teach the public about fighting corruption.
“We
believe that the education sector will play a key role in what we are
doing and that is why we have launched a series of programmes targeting
the sector that include integrity clubs in schools and sponsoring drama
festivals,” he said.
He said they had also partnered
with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development in order to
incorporate studies in integrity, ethics, values and patriotism in
schools.
Mr Matemu said he was satisfied with the
support he was getting from the government on the war against corruption
adding President Kenyatta had demonstrated his willingness to fight
graft through his utterances and launching a website to check corruption
in the public sector.
FOURTH LIBERATION
He said the fight against corruption in the country was progress well but called for support from all Kenyans.
The
EACC boss said some of the milestones made in the war against
corruption include the signing and ratification of the United Nations
Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) which is currently undergoing
review.
He said Parliament is expected to enact new
legislation and effect amendments to existing statutes in line with the
UNCAC objects.
He said the review findings on the gaps
in the implementation of UNCAC will go a long way in rejuvenating the
war against corruption in Kenya.
“We at the Commission continue to urge Kenyans to view a successful anti-corruption war as our fourth liberation,” he said.
Mr
Matemu said Kenyans liberated themselves from colonialism by
energetically and enthusiastically fighting for independence which we
finally got in 1963. “Our challenges did not end there. There came the
second war aimed at entrenching democracy in our governance. This was
the fight for multi-partism which we won in 1992 marking the second
liberation,” he said.
He said due to severe governance
challenges in the independence constitution Kenyans continued to fight
for a new constitutional dispensation with a view to restore the rule of
law and shift sovereignty from the state to the people.
“This war was won in August 2010 when a new constitution was enacted and promulgated marking the third liberation,” he said.
The
EACC chairman noted Kenyans were now faced with the fourth liberation
that is the liberation from the yokes of corruption and impunity.
“Just
like the other three wars, we will require men and women who are
prepared to stand out and say no to corruption,” he said.
He
said a successful war against corruption requires a multi-sectoral
approach and all Kenyans including leaders at all levels have inevitable
collective and individual responsibilities in the fight.
Mr
Matemu said EACC’s commitment to its regional and international
obligations has resulted in him being unanimously elected to the
presidency of the East African Association of Anti-Corruption
Authorities (EAAACA).
This was alongside another
unanimous election of one of our officers as the President of the
recently established Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network for East Africa
(ARIN-EA).
“These developments manifest that the
reform agenda that the Country is implementing has been noted and the
region has tremendous faith in what we are doing,” he said.
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BACKGROUND
Rules on vehicle importation
BACKGROUND
Rules on vehicle importation
In
2005, Kenya introduced new regulations on importation of used cars
requiring that such vehicles should not be more than eight years old
from the year of first registration and the difference between this year
and the year of manufactur should not be more than one year.
All
left-hand drive vehicles are not allowed for registration unless they
are for special purpose, that is, ambulances, fire engines and large
construction vehicles imported for projects and to be eventually donated
to the government.
All used vehicles imported into Kenya are inspected for road worthiness, safety and other requirements.
All
imports of used motor vehicles including those belonging to returning
residents, diplomats and or public servants must meet the above
requirements.
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