Kenyan expert appointed to monitor Britain's aid spending

John Githongo is to join the four-strong independent team that will ensure Britain gets value for money

Britain has chosen a Kenyan anti-corruption expert to join a high-level commission set up to reassure taxpayers that aid is being well spent.

Andrew Mitchell, the international development secretary, will announce today that John Githongo, previously a member of the Kenyan government and director of Transparency International, is to be part of a four-strong independent team appointed to scrutinise whether Britain is getting full value for money from its rapidly increasing aid spending.

With the government extremely alert to the risk of a public backlash against aid spending at a time of domestic austerity, Mitchell said Githongo's admirably tough record on fighting corruption in Kenya would add stature to Britain's Independent Commission for Aid.

"It is crucial that we have credible, energetic, capable people, who can shine a light on the UK's aid programmes, which is why I am delighted at the appointment of this board," Mitchell said.

Githongo joins Mark Foster, group chief executive of Global Markets and Management Consulting, and Diana Good, a part-time judge and a founder trustee of the Access to Justice Foundation, as the three new commissioners to the ICA. They join Graham Ward, an accountant, who was appointed chief commissioner last year.

Mitchell was one of only two cabinet ministers to see his budget ringfenced in last October's draconian spending review in order to fulfil the government's commitment to raise aid spending to 0.7% of national income by 2013.

While other ministers will be seeing deep budget cuts, the international development department will see resource spending go up by 35% in inflation-adjusted terms over the three years of the spending plans. The development secretary will shortly announce the results of investigations into the effectiveness of Britain's bilateral and multilateral aid.

He said: "I am dispensing w! ith the ability to sweep things under the carpet. For the first time, the commission will bring rigorous independent scrutiny to bear on our work, ensuring that British taxpayers' money is well spent.

"This is a good development, which will reassure the public. I am completely confident that our money is incredibly well spent. In instances when it is shown that that is not the case we will take it on the chin and put it right."

Githongo has spearheaded numerous anti-corruption measures in Kenya and helped improve the transparency of the Kenyan government and international aid agencies. Mitchell believes that Githongo, a former permanent secretary to the Kenyan prime minister, will bring the voice of the developing world to bear on the British government's work and give insights into how aid projects can be successful.

The development secretary said the ICA would be fully independent and would undertake a wide-ranging 20 reports a year, including evaluations, value for money reviews and investigations into potential corruption.


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