Integrity in public services calls for more than tests, declarations

EACC Chairperson David Oginde and CEO Abdi Mohamud at a past function at the EACC Headquarters, Nairobi. [File, Standard]

Kenya’s 2010 Constitution raised the bar on leadership and integrity. Chapter Six is clear, that public office is a public trust. Yet years on, the evidence remains sobering.

 In its 2024/2025 report, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission recorded 166 random and targeted integrity tests across revenue offices, police stations, land registries, hospitals and county governments. 152 public institutions failed. Only four passed. Ten results were inconclusive. These were real-life scenarios designed to test whether an officer would demand or accept a bribe when no supervisor was watching.