Anti-corruption agencies in East African Community (EAC) member
states are pushing for the speedy finalization of the regional protocol on
anti-corruption to help fight new graft trends in the region. The
signing of the East African Community Protocol on Preventing and Combating
Corruption has been hampered by differences among member states on whether to
give prosecutorial powers to their respective anti-corruption agencies. The
regional anti-corruption protocol has been under negotiation for a long time
and at the last meeting of the Legal and Anti-Corruption Experts in June
2012, partner states took divergent positions on the definitions of acts of
corruption and related offences; the transfer of sentenced persons; the
transfer of criminal proceedings; the prosecutorial powers under enforcement
and judicial co-operation and legal assistance mechanisms. The anti-corruption
protocol is intended to enhance co-operation among EAC partner states in
preventing and combating corruption, and to establish a legally binding
instrument that will establish common standards throughout the EAC.
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by Fred Oluoch in The East African.
