This archive report was first published on 9 December 2019.
December 9, 2019, marks International Anti-Corruption Day, an annual event aimed at stimulating awareness about the impact of corruption and how to prevent and combat it in the public and private sectors.
Corruption is a significant challenge, particularly in developing countries, where it undermines social and economic development, impacts national security, and affects access to basic public services like education and healthcare.
Private sector companies share the responsibility for combating corruption, as it often requires their collusion with corrupt public officials for it to take place.
The Blue Company and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) are partnering to assist the Kenyan private sector in the fight against corruption.
The Blue Company Initiative aims to encourage better corporate governance in the private sector and combat corruption by certifying companies and promoting anti-corruption policies.
As of June 2018, the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) had 186 state parties, making it a near-universal document that requires state parties to take measures to combat corruption, including in the private sector and in the field of bribery.
The Bribery Act 2016 in Kenya came into force on January 13, 2017, providing a framework for the prevention, investigation, and punishment of bribery and related offences.
For the Act to be effective, the private sector must be fully engaged, and UNODC and The Blue Company seek to help the private sector adopt anti-corruption policies aligned with the convention and put in place necessary checks and balances to improve transparency and strengthen accountability.
