This archive report was first published on 22 October 2019.
Kenya's Bribery Act, which came into force in 2017, aimed to clean up the country's corrupt society. However, two years later, the country has not made significant progress in combating corruption.
According to Transparency International, Kenya dropped one point in the global Corruption Perception Index (CPI) in 2019, scoring 27 out of 100. This decline is largely attributed to the lack of goodwill from law enforcers.
Corruption has severe consequences on service delivery, and the private sector has a crucial role to play in eradicating it. However, the sector's effectiveness is hindered by the fear of losing contracts, licenses, and revenues.
Private sector players face an ethical dilemma: refusing to pay bribes can cost their companies dearly, while yielding to corruption can lead to a loss of reputation and integrity.
Despite the challenges, there is consensus that fighting corruption requires the engagement of multiple stakeholders, including strategic partnerships to reconcile divergent perceptions on the subject matter.
The private sector can foster a culture of business integrity and compliance, raise public awareness on corruption, and contribute to the realization of Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals.
By collaborating with all stakeholders in the corruption value chain, the private sector can lay the foundation of strong institutions that promote active corporate citizenship and sustainable growth.
