Maracha County Member of Parliament, Hon. Oguzu Lee Denis, has been elected as the new East Africa Regional Coordinator for the African Parliamentarians’ Network on Illicit Financial Flows and Taxation (APNIFFT).
The election took place at the Capital Park Hotel in Johannesburg, drawing participation from parliamentarians across the continent.
Hon. Oguzu secured the position after a competitive race against candidates from Burundi, South Sudan, and Kenya.
He takes over from Hon. Nancy Abisai of Kenya and will now serve on the 7-member Continental Steering Committee, joining the top leadership responsible for strategic direction and continental advocacy on taxation and financial accountability. 
The assembly also elected Hon. Galvans from the Central African Republic as the new Continental Chairperson, deputized by Hon. Ngobeni, who also serves as the Chief Whip of South Africa’s MK Party led by former President Jacob Zuma.
APNIFFT is a continental coalition of lawmakers committed to tackling Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs)—a major development challenge that costs Africa an estimated $88.6 billion annually.
These losses undermine key sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, and social services, depriving citizens of essential public investments. 
Upon his election, Hon. Oguzu pledged firm action and regional collaboration.
“This mandate is a profound responsibility. The $88.6 billion Africa loses annually represents schools unbuilt, hospitals without medicine, and roads unrepaired. We must close the loopholes and ensure that Africa’s wealth remains in Africa to serve African people,” he said.
Illicit Financial Flows: A Silent Drain
IFFs take various forms, including:
- Trade misinvoicing – manipulating import and export values to move money illegally.
- Tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance by multinational corporations.
- Opaque mining contracts and underpricing of mineral exports, resulting in revenue loss.
- Corruption and embezzlement of public funds that are later laundered offshore.
- Criminal proceeds from trafficking, smuggling, and counterfeiting that weaken national revenues.
Hon. Oguzu outlined key areas that East African parliamentarians must prioritize to stop IFFs:
- Strengthen laws on tax evasion, profit shifting, and money laundering.
- Enforce transparency, including public beneficial ownership registers and country-by-country reporting for multinational companies.
- Enhance institutional capacity by empowering revenue authorities and financial intelligence units.
- Ratify and domesticate continental frameworks, such as the AU Convention on Corruption and AfCFTA protocols on financial transparency.
- Ensure parliamentary oversight to stop resource leakages in budgets, contracts, and taxation policies.
