NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 14-The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has declared a strategic shift from a largely enforcement-driven anti-graft campaign to one focused on preventing corruption before it occurs, saying the approach has helped Kenya recover and protect more than Sh43 billion in public resources over the past three years.

📻 Breaking It Down

Speaking during the commemoration of the 2026 African Anti-Corruption Day at Integrity Centre in Nairobi, EACC Chairperson David Oginde said the future of the fight against corruption lies in building institutions that eliminate opportunities for graft rather than relying solely on investigations and prosecutions.

“We have progressively shifted from a predominantly reactive institution to one that embraces a balanced approach of prevention, public education, investigations, asset recovery and strategic partnerships,” Oginde said Monday.

He argued that the true measure of an anti-corruption agency’s success is not the number of arrests or cases investigated, but the number of corruption opportunities eliminated before public resources are lost.

📌 What You Need to Know

The commission reported recovering assets worth Sh7.4 billion, securing court orders forfeiting Sh25.71 billion in corruptly acquired assets and preventing the loss of another Sh10.74 billion through early intervention measures over the last three years. It also secured 72 convictions in corruption-related cases.

Oginde said the commission’s governance-centred strategy has seen integrity systems embedded across public institutions through corruption risk assessments, systems reviews, integrity testing and public education initiatives.

According to the commission, corruption risk assessments have been undertaken in 17 county governments, while 41 systems reviews have been conducted across ministries, departments and agencies.

The agency has also carried out 403 random and targeted integrity tests in public institutions to identify weaknesses before they are exploited.

The EACC chair noted that technology is increasingly becoming a critical tool in preventing corruption, with digital government services, e-procurement platforms, data analytics and artificial intelligence helping identify risks and improve transparency.

He also emphasized that ethical leadership remains the strongest safeguard against corruption, arguing that institutions led by leaders who demonstrate integrity consistently outperform those that depend solely on compliance mechanisms.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya