Why government may recover only a fraction of $21 billion ORAL target—Bright Simons explains

The government’s Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative may only retrieve about $2.6 billion of the estimated $21 billion lost to financial irregularities, warns Bright Simons, Vice President of IMANI Africa.

Speaking on JoyNews on February 15, 2025, Simons highlighted strong public support for ORAL but cautioned that legal and bureaucratic obstacles could hinder large-scale recovery.

He pointed out that much of the alleged losses stem from wasteful spending rather than outright theft, making prosecution challenging.

Simons also questioned the Attorney General’s ability to manage over 2,500 cases effectively and raised concerns about fairness in case selection.

He warned that unless systemic loopholes enabling corruption are addressed, ORAL risks becoming just another political slogan rather than a meaningful accountability initiative.