Twalib Abdallah Mbarak has been sworn in as the new Ethics and anti-corruption Commission CEO.

He was sworn in on Monday by Chief Justice David Maraga.

Also present were Attorney General Paul Kihara, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji, Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) George Kinoti, EACC Chairman Eliud Wabukala and Solicitor General Ken Ogeto among others.

Mbaraka sounded a warning that he will make corruption a high risk venture in the country.

“Corrupt persons thrive on volatility. They exploit it for personal gain. I am committed to make corruption a high-risk venture in our beloved country. Kenya will be an inhospitable place for corrupt individuals,” he said.

He said he will bank on ensuring impactful investigations by conducting comprehensive audit of the cases with a view of prioritising investigations based on factors such as subject matter, personalities involved and public interest.

“I intend to review the current process and unblock any procedural bottlenecks that prevent us from working effectively. I expect this to be done both inside the commission and with the stakeholders dealing with this issue,” he said.

He added that he intends to strengthen the asset recovery function of the commission in a bid to recover stolen assets and ill-gotten wealth from the corrupt.

“The corrupt will fight harder to protect their ill-gotten wealth from confiscation than they would do avoid imprisonment. Once the gain is seized from the corrupt individuals, the deterrence effect will trickle down at all levels of citizenship,” he said.

EACC Chairman Eliud Wabukala said the war against corruption can only be won when it is collectively fought.

 “The heightened national agenda to fight corruption provides an opportune time for the Commission to re-energize its focus in this war. I believe that soon we will begin to see an end to this scourge,” he said.

He assured Kenyans that the fight against corruption is on course and that the Commission is committed to sustaining the momentum built by the efforts of all the enforcement agencies, the goodwill received from our country’s top leadership, and all Kenyans at large.