Corruption.
Anti-corruption activists in Homa Bay county have embarked on a campaign to protect whistle blowers. The activists led by the Coalition of Homa Bay Organisations and Governance Oversight (CHOGO) coordinator Edgar Ochweyo urged area residents to embrace digital platforms for reporting corruption while protecting the identity of whistle blowers.
Speaking Sunday during a sensitisation forum at Kabunde Social Hall in Homa Bay town constituency, Ochweyo said that protecting whistleblowers was instrumental in the fight against corruption. The coordinator expressed concerns that poor governance in county and national governments was fueling corruption.
He said their organisation was partnering with Transparency International (TI) to sensitise local residents on the new digital platforms for reporting corruption matters. He said some of the platforms include Uajibikaji Pamoja, Action for Transparency, WhatsApp and a Toll Free Number.
“Failure to protect whistleblowers has remained an obstacle in the fight against corruption but the security of platforms was addresses that,” Ochweyo said. He noted that the County Youth and Adolescent Network (CYAN)-Kenya was also supporting the campaign programmes.
Ochweyo said some of the correction ridden sectors was land disputes resolution, sexual and gender based violence cases and employment opportunities. “Many county governments suffered from mismanagement of public funds because of corruption. Some workers were hired through nepotism,” he said.
Ochweyo said reported cases of corruption must be thoroughly investigated and action taken against the perpetrators. “There must be no sacred cows in fighting corruption menace,” he added.