NAIROBI, Kenya — David Oginde, Chairperson of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), has called for a shift from reactive anti-corruption responses to proactive, system-based reforms, warning that graft continues to undermine equality and access to public services.
Speaking during the launch of the Kenya National Gender and Corruption Survey 2025 at the Safari Park Hotel on Thursday, Oginde said corruption is deeply embedded in service delivery systems and disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, particularly women and youth.
“What this report reveals is not isolated incidents of misconduct but systemic weaknesses in how public services are accessed, delivered, and regulated,” he said.
“When citizens must negotiate, pay, or compromise to access services that are their right, then we must confront a deeper institutional challenge.”
Oginde noted that while Kenya has made progress in building legal and policy frameworks grounded in equality and non-discrimination, corruption continues to erode those gains.
He said the survey highlights how graft interacts with social and economic inequalities, limiting access to essential services such as healthcare, education, and civil registration.
“Corruption does not operate in a vacuum. It interacts with social and economic inequalities, deepening vulnerability and reinforcing exclusion,” he added.
The EACC chairperson identified three major governance concerns emerging from the survey findings: persistent gatekeeping in public service delivery, the rise of non-monetary corruption such as abuse of power, and low reporting rates driven by limited trust and weak whistleblower protections.
He warned that these challenges increase the cost of living, weaken institutions, and erode public trust, ultimately slowing national development.
In response, Oginde said the commission will intensify preventive and enforcement measures to strengthen accountability across public institutions.
“As the EACC, we reaffirm our commitment to strengthening systems to prevent corruption before it occurs, enhancing accountability and enforcement mechanisms, supporting safe and accessible reporting channels, and protecting victims and witnesses,” he said.
Oginde added that the commission will collaborate with stakeholders to implement targeted, evidence-based interventions aimed at addressing vulnerabilities identified in the survey.
He also emphasized the need to rebuild public confidence in reporting mechanisms, saying accountability must be visibly enforced.
The event brought together senior government officials, diplomats, development partners, and representatives from key institutions, including the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku also attended.
The survey, Kenya’s first to provide gender-disaggregated data on corruption, has been described as a critical policy tool for shaping reforms.
Oginde urged stakeholders to move from analysis to implementation, calling for a collective shift “from awareness to action, from analysis to reform, and from commitment to results.”
