Special Paper No. 34 of 2022 on Tracing the Effectiveness of Kenya’s Continuum of Anti-Corruption Strategies Kenya

Abstract

Corruption persistently and relentlessly remains a challenge in Kenya with a huge cost to the economy. It is a hindrance to good governance and inflicts substantial economic costs such as misappropriation or loss of public funds and livelihoods. Kenya’s rating on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI), for the past 20 years, continues to remain low, ranging from 19 points (lowest) to 28 points (highest), out of the possible 100 points. In addition, Kenya scores very low on the Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI), in Sub-Saharan Africa. These governance indicators are the measure of a government’s effectiveness in the fight against corruption. These indicators are government effectiveness, political stability, regulatory quality, rule of law, voice and accountability, independence of the judiciary, accountability of the public service, application of credible sanctions, freedom of expression, freedom of the media and satisfaction with poverty reduction. Anti-corruption initiatives in Kenya date back to the colonial era, when the Kenya Prevention of Corruption Act (Cap 65) was enacted in 1956. The Act prescribed actions and offences that amount to corruption, such as corruption in office (behaviour), corrupt transactions with agents and public servants obtaining advantage without consideration, and prescribed penalties therefor.