NAIROBI, Kenya – The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has announced a series of sweeping legal and policy reforms aimed at accelerating Kenya’s fight against graft, including measures to fast-track corruption cases and broaden investigative powers across financial platforms.
The proposals, contained in the Anti-Corruption Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025, seek to conclude corruption cases and appeals within six months, grant investigators wider access to mobile money and non-bank financial institutions, and impose a 10-year tender ban on convicted individuals.
The Bill also criminalises influence peddling and strengthens protections for whistle-blowers.
Speaking during the launch of the Commission’s 2024/2025 financial year report, EACC Chairperson David Oginde said the past year had witnessed “significant steps” in strengthening Kenya’s anti-corruption framework.
He highlighted the enactment of the Conflict-of-Interest Act, which empowers the Commission to detect and stop unethical conduct before it escalates into criminality.
“This landmark law grants the Commission clearer authority and enhanced tools to detect and address conflicts of interest, one of the most pervasive gateways to corruption,” Oginde said. “It allows us to intervene early, before unethical conduct becomes criminal.”
Oginde also pointed to the Anti-Corruption Guiding Framework, adopted by the National Council on the Administration of Justice, which has improved coordination among justice agencies and sped up case processes.
He noted that digitising public procurement through the e-GP system has increased transparency in a sector where the public stands to lose the most.
“These reforms affirm a simple truth: when the policy and legal environment is strengthened, the fight against corruption gains real momentum,” Oginde added.
The Commission also reported enhanced collaboration with state agencies, civil society, the private sector, the media, and international partners.
Oginde raised concern over the rising cases of falsified academic and professional qualifications, stressing that Kenya must not become a society where shortcuts override merit.
The issue was recently addressed at the National Ethics and Integrity Conference.
Youth engagement has expanded through integrity dialogues and digital platforms, reshaping the national discourse on accountability.
EACC CEO Abdi Mohamud said the Commission had intensified corruption-prevention measures in high-risk institutions, including the National Police Service, Kenya Power, NSSF, and Kenya Prisons.
Platforms such as the Kenya Leadership and Integrity Forum (KLIF) and the National Integrity Academy (NIACa) have helped institutions align around shared anti-corruption goals.
“Further, the Commission continues to strengthen KLIF and NIACa as strategic avenues for implementing the corruption-preventive mandate,” Mohamud said. “We have navigated various challenges by staying true to our vision of promoting integrity and combating corruption through law enforcement, prevention, and education.”
Looking ahead, the Commission plans to focus on monitoring capital-intensive projects, tackling bribery at service points, recovering unexplained assets, enhancing multi-agency collaboration, and scaling up public awareness campaigns targeting youth and the media.
These priorities fall under the EACC Strategic Plan 2023–2028.
Mohamud also noted that Kenya faces pressure to strengthen its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) systems to enable removal from the FATF Grey List, placing additional responsibility on the Commission.
“Our success depends on sustained vigilance,” Mohamud said, urging stakeholders to study the report and hold public institutions to the highest standards.
