The Commission has called on all public agencies that have been allocated funds to expend on the mitigation and recovery measures against COVID-19 to proactively disclose information on the amounts allocated and expenditures in line with the constitutional fiscal framework of prudence, transparency and accountability in public finances, the Access to Information Act, 2016 and other relevant laws that regulate the use of public funds. Speaking to the Media this morning on “Maladministration and Non-Disclosure of Information during this COVID- 19 Pandemic,” the Commission Chairperson, Hon Florence Kajuju has noted with concern the recent media reports where some public officers have been quoted declaring that they would not make disclosures on expenditure of COVID-19 funds. This, she says, is a blatant breach of the trust placed in the authority granted to a public officer and that such conduct erodes public confidence in the integrity of the public office held by such officers.
The Commission has further called on the Ministry of Health and County Governments to provide timely information to the public on the number of quarantine/treatment facilities available, their capacity, location, protocols and rules to be followed in admission, periodic occupancy percentage, and any other incidental information as will be deemed necessary. The Ministry of Education, in consultation with other stakeholders, has also been urged to put in place the necessary strategies and infrastructure that would facilitate resumption of learning in our institutions as soon as is practicable in full compliance with existing public health protocols.
