Nyeri: Stakeholders in the public sector have called for ethics, integrity, and good governance to be formally incorporated into the education curriculum. Speaking during a stakeholder participation session organized by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) in Nyeri, the stakeholders emphasized the need for ethical values to be inculcated in young Kenyans at an early age.
According to Kenya News Agency, the stakeholders argued that integrating integrity into the Competence-Based Education curriculum would help nurture a generation that understands the dangers of corruption and embraces ethical conduct as part of their daily life. Morris Barasa recommended that the EACC engage stakeholders in the education sector to ensure that integrity is taught in schools, ingraining it into individuals at a very early age.
The stakeholders also urged the anti-graft agency to allocate part of its annual budget for regular sensitization workshops for the public. They noted that some Kenyans engage in corrupt practices due to a lack of knowledge about what constitutes corruption and unethical conduct. Kenneth Kahoro expressed concerns that corruption has become normalized, with some viewing bribery as part of everyday culture. He suggested that public enlightenment could reverse this trend.
The session aimed to gather views on the commission’s 2027/2028 budget and the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework. The commission also reviewed its achievements during the 2025/2026 financial year and outlined its plans for the current fiscal year. For 2026/2027, the commission’s budget increased to Sh 4.97 billion from Sh 4.31 billion in the previous year.
In the current fiscal year, the commission plans to investigate 436 cases of corruption, bribery, and unethical conduct, a 23% reduction from the 572 cases investigated in 2025/2026. Out of those investigations, the EACC forwarded 178 files to the Director of Public Prosecutions, comprising 94 cases of corruption, economic crime, bribery, and 81 cases of unethical violations.
The commission aims to preserve approximately Sh 2.4 billion worth of illegally acquired assets and recover Sh 4.5 billion of corruptly acquired assets and unexplained wealth. It also plans to undertake 14 system examinations and risk assessments in public institutions to identify and address corruption loopholes. Last year, it conducted 16 such examinations.
Additionally, the EACC intends to sensitize 177,000 learners on ethics, integrity, and good governance. The commission seeks to achieve 80% compliance with the declaration requirements for state and public officers.
EACC Director of Legal Services, David Too, highlighted political interference and the commission’s lack of prosecutorial powers as key challenges in combating corruption. He mentioned that cases involving politically exposed individuals often become politicized, affecting the commission’s actions. Delays in court proceedings also hinder the recovery and prosecution of corruption cases. The commission has recommended that anti-corruption cases be fast-tracked like election petitions.
Too also pointed out difficulties in implementing recommendations from system reviews and corruption risk assessments, as institutions are not legally obligated to act on EACC advisories. This means recommendations can remain unimplemented unless taken up by institutions or acted upon through other lawful processes.
