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Govt Targets Civil servants, Spouses and Children in New Wealth Declaration Forms Regulations

Govt Targets Civil servants, Spouses and Children in New Wealth Declaration Forms Regulations

Shocking news has hit thousands of civil servants and public officers as the government, in a surprising move, has demanded the inclusion of spouses and children details in their wealth declaration forms. Failure to comply with this new requirement may result in missed salaries and allowances, with potential fines of up to Sh1 million or a year in jail.

Anonymous sources among civil servants, who spoke to The Standard, revealed that the new directive mandates the inclusion of Personal Identification Numbers (PIN) and the amount and type of income earned by spouses over the last two years. Additionally, public officers are now obligated to disclose their spouses’ job status, properties, debtors, and financial assets and liabilities.

ALSO READ: TSC Wealth declaration procedure for teachers, Forms for Income Assets

Those who failed to submit their forms by December 30 are now facing delays in receiving their salaries, according to a civil servant.

Prior to President William Ruto’s administration, many civil servants were reportedly less inclined to complete the wealth declaration forms, particularly the section regarding spouses. However, with the enactment of the Conflict of Interest Act in March of the previous year, the government is now enforcing stricter measures to prevent conflicts of interest among public servants.

The new law, approved by the Cabinet, aims to introduce robust legal safeguards against actual, apparent, or potential conflicts of interest between the private interests of public servants and their official duties.

National Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa sponsored the bill, requiring public officers to declare their wealth within 30 days of appointment and subsequently every two years. Failure to comply with these declarations may result in fines of Sh1 million or two years in prison.

The disclosure requirements extend to the nature of debts owed by spouses, with details such as the debtor’s name and outstanding amounts. The template provided to over 923,000 civil and public servants also includes declarations related to outstanding school fees, loans, dividend payments, dowries, and various monthly bills.

Parents, whose children have reached marriage age, are obligated to declare dowry amounts received, and the declaration form also requires the listing of all spouses and their associated details.

ALSO READ: Simplified Wealth Declaration Process for TSC Employees

Furthermore, the declaration encompasses a wide range of assets, including livestock, pets, household items, jewelry, trophies, and artifacts. Officers are required to provide details about their gross salary for the last two years and disclose various revenue streams, such as income from business ventures, gifts, royalties, and court-awarded damages.

The enforcement of these declarations falls under the jurisdiction of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), with law enforcement agencies having unrestricted access to compliance reports made by public officers.

Knut Murang’a South branch boss, John Njata, sees the government’s move as a strategy to impose additional taxes on civil servants, especially teachers. He urges the government to allow teachers to pursue side hustles without added tax burdens.

Public Service Commission Director of Communications, Brown Kutwsa, emphasized that the wealth declaration forms must be filled out every two years, and failure to comply by the deadline is actionable.

Govt Targets Civil servants, Spouses and Children in New Wealth Declaration Forms Regulations

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