“Integrity is not enforceable – it is a personal choice,” EACC Chairperson tells accountants
EACC Chairperson Dr David Oginde, the Chief Guest at the ICPAK Annual Seminar 2026, delivers his keynote address in Mombasa.
13:11:2026: Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) Chairperson Dr David Oginde has challenged accountants to uphold integrity in their professional conduct, warning that their specialised expertise can also be used to facilitate sophisticated forms of corruption.
Speaking as the Chief Guest at the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) Annual Seminar in Mombasa, Dr Oginde said professionals had a responsibility to safeguard financial accountability rather than use their expertise to conceal wrongdoing.
“Integrity is not enforceable – it is a personal choice,” he said, urging accountants to demonstrate ethical conduct through their everyday professional decisions.
Dr Oginde expressed concern over the involvement of professionals in corrupt practices, noting that their technical knowledge often makes such offences difficult to detect and investigate.
“The wickedness that’s done by professionals is professionally done. It’s not an easy crime for the Commission to crack,” he observed.
The Chairperson challenged accountants to reject practices such as manipulating financial records, compromising audit findings and abandoning independent professional judgement.
He also called on professionals and members of the public to speak out against corruption, warning that silence allows wrongdoing to persist.
“If we keep silent about wrongdoings, then evil will perpetuate,” he cautioned.
He said meaningful societal transformation required individuals with the moral courage to confront wrongdoing regardless of who was involved.
“Men and women who ultimately transform society have moral courage – they stand up against anyone who wants to do wrong,” he said.
Meanwhile, ICPAK Chairperson CPA Prof. Elizabeth Kalunda reaffirmed the Institute’s commitment to working with EACC in the fight against corruption, declaring that the professional body would not provide a hiding place for corruption.
Prof. Kalunda pledged that ICPAK would present a report at its next summit detailing members’ progress in promoting integrity and good governance.
She said stronger collaboration between the two institutions was essential in promoting accountability and entrenching ethical standards within the accounting profession.
The ICPAK Annual Seminar, held in Mombasa from November 9 to 13, 2026, brought together accounting professionals and other stakeholders to deliberate on issues affecting the profession.
