Institutional Dynamics Influencing the Fight Against Corruption In Kenya: Case Study of Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC)
| dc.contributor.author | Wekesa Ignatius | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-09-14T06:55:23Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-09-14T06:55:23Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
| dc.description.abstract | The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is an institution established by the constitution of Kenya to spearhead integration of ethics in public service. Despite the existence of EACC for over ten years, during which period its services have been decentralized to the sub national level to support the fight against the twin vices of corruption and unethical behavior by public servants, the two have persisted and the damage is felt by the citizenry who cannot get quality basic public services. This raises further questions as to the efficacy of the mechanisms put in place by the institution to rid public service of the vices. The specific objectives that guided the study include; establishing the level of awareness of the mandate of EACC in the fight against corruption in Kenya, examining the effect of decentralization of EACC to the counties on the fight against corruption in Kenya and assessing the effectiveness of the anti-corruption measures governing the fight against corruption in Kenya. The study was anchored on Institutional Design and the Principal Agent theories to explain the phenomenon of corruption in Kenya. In terms of methodology, the study used a mixed-methods approach in the collection, analysis and interpretation of both primary and secondary data. The target population in this research study included officers drawn from seven state agencies which collaborate with the EACC in the fight against corruption in Kenya and from which a sample size of 96 was obtained using purposive and stratified random sampling procedures. A questionnaire and a Key Informant Interview guide were used for data collection. The resulting quantitative data was descriptively analyzed while the qualitative data was analyzed using the content analysis process. The findings show that the level of awareness of the mandate of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) in the fight against corruption in Kenya varies among different segments of the population. While some individuals and organizations have a clear understanding of EACC's role, others have limited awareness, an issue that was attributed to various factors such as education levels, access to information, and communication strategies employed by EACC. Decentralization of EACC to the counties was found to have both positive and negative effects on the fight against corruption. On the positive side, decentralization was found to have enhanced accessibility of anti-corruption services to citizens at the grassroots level, leading to increased reporting of corrupt activities and more effective enforcement of anti-corruption measures in local communities. This is however challenged by resource inadequacy, capacity building shortfalls, and poor coordination of the anticorruption efforts. The study also established that implementation and enforcement of the law and policies aimed at combating corruption faces significant challenges, key among them weak governance structures, lack of political will, unethical conduct within law enforcement agencies, lack of prosecutorial powers and judicial inefficiencies. These factors contribute to the limited success of anti-corruption efforts. Based on these findings, the study recommends promotion of civic education and public awareness of the mandate of EACC, strengthening of institutional controls, regular vetting of anticorruption law enforcers, optimal resourcing of EACC and the granting of prosecutorial powers to EACC for it to deliver on its mandate. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://repository.ndu.ac.ke/handle/123456789/151 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.title | Institutional Dynamics Influencing the Fight Against Corruption In Kenya: Case Study of Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) | |
| dc.type | Thesis |