By Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Daily Nation
Published on 2024-01-24 16:17:45
The Public Service Commission (PSC) has issued a warning that public officers who fail to make an initial declaration of wealth will face consequences, including not being entered into the payroll system or receiving promotions. According to the commission, 10,352 out of 13,354 staff hired by State entities in the year to June 2023 did not make the required initial statements of income, assets, and liabilities.
The PSC has emphasized the importance of initial declarations, stating that failure to comply will result in disciplinary action. They have directed accounting officers of the organizations that did not administer initial wealth declarations for new officers to provide explanations for their failure to do so by the end of March 2024.
Additionally, the commission has called upon non-compliant officers to explain the reasons for their failure to file an initial declaration of assets and liabilities within 60 days. They have also stressed that evidence of filing initial declarations will be a requirement for entry into the payroll system and will be considered as part of the integrity vetting process for promotional appointments in the public service.
Public officers are legally required to declare their income, assets, and liabilities upon joining service, every two years thereafter, and within 30 days of leaving service. These declarations, made under the provisions of the Public Officer Ethics Act, 2003, serve as a mechanism to promote ethics and integrity in the public service, in line with the values and principles of good governance, transparency, and accountability.
The PSC’s report on compliance with Article 10 and 232 of the Constitution revealed that a majority of the organizations that appointed new officers in the year to June 2023 did not administer initial declarations of income, assets, and liabilities. The report also highlighted specific institutions that failed to comply with the wealth declaration requirements, along with the proposed actions to address non-compliance.
In addition, the PSC disclosed that it provided 21 declaration records to investigative agencies to aid investigations into illicit enrichment and unexplained wealth of some public officers. The commission also recommended sharing the list of officers who exited service without filing final declarations with various oversight and investigative bodies for integrity vetting and potential legal action.
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