National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has proposed a paradigm shift on how offenders who breach regulations on national values and good governance should be sanctioned.
Besides the traditional prescription of criminal judicial sanctions, Muturi noted that there needs to be an “examination on the other possibilities of sanctions that the state can prescribe and invest in constitutional bodies like the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).”
“Our areas of sanctions needs to be re-looked afresh because it is the one that will help us deal with issues of morality and values,” he said on Tuesday during a Kenyatta University virtual debate national values and principles of good governance.
The anti-graft watchdog currently among other things combats and prevents corruption, economic crime and unethical conduct through law enforcement, prevention, public education, promotion of standards and practices of integrity, ethics and anti-corruption.
According to the Constitution Article 10, patriotism, national unity, sharing and devolution of power, the rule of law, democracy and participation of the people, human dignity, equity, social justice, inclusiveness, equality are some of the values and principles of governance.
Others are human rights, non-discrimination and protection of the marginalized, good governance, integrity, transparency and accountability and sustainable development.
Muturi who eyeing the Presidency in the August polls challenged Kenyans to elect leaders who have high regard to upholding national values and principles of governance.
“The successful realization of National Values and Principles of Governance requires coordinated and concerted efforts in the implementation of strategies for the promotion of national values and principles of governance. At individual level, National Values and Principles of Governance must become the minimum standard of conduct for interpersonal interactions and service delivery by public officers,” he said.
He decried that the mainstreaming of national values and principles of governance has been made hindered by inadequate citizen participation in decision making and inadequate provision for diversity and lack of resources for training and sensitization of organizational staff and members of the public on national values.