Kenya’s outgoing presidents to declare country’s assets before leaving

President Uhuru Kenyatta

An outgoing president will be required to declare Kenya’s assets before leaving office courtesy of a proposed law. The Assumption of Office of President (Amendment) Bill, 2016, set to be introduced in Parliament soon, will compel the retiring Head of State to tell the citizens how rich or broke the country is. He or she will be made to tell the country how much his Government has accumulated in assets and liabilities during his tenure, and future economic prospects as he leaves office or seeks an additional term, according to the proposals seen by The Standard.
 “Two months before the general election, the President will be required to prepare and table before the two Houses, a report showing the economic status of the country,” reads the Bill. The proposals seek to amend section 14 of the Act that gives the procedure for handing over power. Under the current arrangement, an outgoing President is only required to surrender his ceremonial sword and a copy of the Constitution to a successor upon signing the certificate of inauguration. In the absence of public records on the county’s financial position, it means an incoming president may find himself presiding over a broke country. The proposed law will also seek to stop corrupt individuals who may be tempted to steal public funds just before a general election, as has been claimed before.
The law will also seal loopholes where a rogue administration may want to accumulate unnecessary debts before the end its term and transfer it to the incoming administration.
Under the proposals, an outgoing president will be under obligation to declare any loans guaranteed his government has taken, the national debt and projected economic growth before he leaves office.