EACC calls for a unified action in war against graft
March 25, 2025 – The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission CEO, Mr. Abdi A. Mohamud, has called for a unified, strategic effort to tackle corruption in Kenya.
Speaking today at the launch of the Anti-Corruption Strategic Guiding Framework for the Justice Sector, which was attended by, among other stakeholders, the top leadership of Parliament, the Judiciary, the Executive, and IEBC, Mr. Mohamud stressed the urgent need for collaboration across institutions to combat corruption and economic crimes.
He hailed the framework as a potential “game changer” if fully implemented and underscored the Commission’s dual focus on enforcement and prevention, citing the recovery of Kes28 billion in corruptly acquired assets over the past five years and the prevention of Kes41 billion in losses through proactive investigations. The Commission is also pursuing over 400 cases to forfeit assets worth KES 50 billion, he said.
“Asset recovery is a stronger deterrent than prosecution alone. It strips corrupt individuals of their illicit gains,” the CEO said, warning that corruption and organized crime threaten Kenya’s stability, economic growth, and sustainable development.
In her keynote address, Chief Justice Martha Koome described the launch as “a bold new chapter” in Kenya’s pursuit of integrity. She called the framework, developed under the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ), a “shared pledge” to strengthen justice institutions and dismantle corruption systematically.
The initiative traces back to the Inaugural Heads of the Arms of Government Summit on January 22, 2024, when President William Ruto rallied the Government’s three branches to unite against corruption, tasking NCAJ with the justice-sector roadmap.
“Corruption poisons the rule of law. It undermines human rights and distorts justice,” the Chief Justice said, referencing its violation of Kenya’s constitutional values.
The framework outlines 76 programs for short, mid, and long-term action, emphasizing inter-agency collaboration and public trust. Among the Judiciary efforts, the Chief Justice highlighted the Court Integrity Committees at every court station, multi-stakeholder bodies tackling grassroots corruption, and daily briefings reinforcing a zero-tolerance policy.
She urged Parliament to enact supporting legal reforms and the National Treasury to fund the framework’s rollout. “This is a moral imperative, not just a legal one,” she said, crediting the NCAJ Anti-Corruption Committee, led by EACC’s CEO, and the European Union for their contributions.
The NCAJ unites justice sector actors to promote an efficient, effective, and collaborative justice system. The framework aims to streamline investigations, prosecutions, asset recovery, and adjudication of corruption cases, enhance coordination and accountability, implement targeted anti-corruption measures, and build public trust in anti-corruption efforts.
