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Kenya’s governance and accountability crisis has once again come under sharp focus, as key institutions demanded sweeping reforms in public financial management to restore investor confidence and close corruption loopholes draining public funds.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK), and the National Taxpayers Association (NTA) jointly accused the government of paying lip service to the fight against graft, while billions of shillings continue to disappear from public coffers each year.
Speaking in Nairobi during a town hall session, EACC chairperson David Oginde painted a grim picture of public frustration with Kenya’s justice system. He said many Kenyans have lost faith due to endless delays in prosecuting high-profile suspects.
“Ordinary citizens are frustrated. They hear of arrests and investigations, yet five years down the line, nothing happens. This is why corruption flourishes. Unless we have special courts across the country, justice will remain a mirage,” Oginde said, stressing that resource excuses can no longer hide the lack of political will.
Oginde welcomed the recently enacted Conflict of Interest Act, describing it as a powerful tool to curb corruption, especially in counties where politically connected families allegedly formed shell companies to secure lucrative government tenders.
“The Act closes loopholes that for years enabled public officials and their relatives to do business with the very institutions they lead. This is where a huge portion of public money has been lost,” he explained.
The law also empowers the EACC to conduct wealth audits every two years, with unexplained assets forfeited to the state. “If you came into office worth Sh300 million and three years later you are worth Sh3 billion, the burden is on you to explain the source. Anything you cannot explain reverts to the state,” Oginde warned.
Currently, Kenya operates only two anti-corruption courts in Nairobi. Plans to expand to other regions have stalled due to budget limitations, leaving many high-profile suspects unprosecuted. The three institutions called for urgent funding to recruit judges, magistrates, and investigators, arguing that without special courts, corruption cases will continue to drag while ordinary taxpayers carry the burden.
ICPAK chairperson Elizabeth Kalunda linked part of Kenya’s financial woes to weak accounting practices. She said the transition from cash-based to accrual accounting will address misuse of “pending bills”—a Kenyan loophole that has tied up billions of shillings in unpaid obligations.
“Accrual accounting will bring discipline and stop the abuse of pending bills, which has crippled businesses and distorted county budgets. Many suppliers, especially SMEs, have collapsed because they wait years to be paid,” Kalunda said.
The NTA, led by chief executive Patrick Nyangweso, placed blame on entrenched political interests for resisting reforms like e-procurement, which is designed to eliminate inflated tenders and ghost suppliers.
According to him, the rollout of the e-Government Procurement (EGP) platform will introduce price standardisation and block proxy firms from exploiting inflated contracts. “Leaders opposing e-procurement are simply protecting corruption cartels. If we don’t have political goodwill, even the best systems will collapse. Kenyans are tired of being robbed in broad daylight while the judiciary drags its feet,” Nyangweso said.
He added that the system will end pricing scandals where one ministry buys a chair for Sh20,000 while another pays Sh200,000 for the same. “The system will create transparency and level the playing field,” he explained.
The three institutions jointly pushed for specialised corruption courts that will be mandated to resolve cases within strict timelines, arguing that speed and certainty are essential to restore confidence in governance and attract both local and foreign investment.
Analysts say Kenya’s economy, already under pressure from rising debt and inflation, risks losing out on vital investor inflows if the government fails to match words with action in its anti-graft fight. The latest calls reflect mounting frustration among civil society, professional groups, and taxpayers who say corruption remains the biggest obstacle to Kenya’s long-term stability.
