The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission's (EACC) recent advisory warning public officers against branding taxpayer-funded projects with their names, images or political symbols is a timely reminder of a principle that should never have required clarification: public resources belong to the people, not to the individuals temporarily entrusted with managing them.
For years, Kenyans have watched a troubling culture take root across government. Roads, classrooms, health centres, water projects and security facilities funded entirely by taxpayers have increasingly been presented as personal achievements of individual politicians and public officials.
Instead of simply identifying the implementing government agency, project signboards often carry oversized names, portraits or personalised messages that create the impression that the projects were financed through the generosity of a particular office holder.
This practice blurs the line between public service and personal political branding.
Government officials are custodians of public resources. They are appointed or elected to administer public funds—not to convert publicly funded projects into personal advertising platforms.
The EACC's advisory therefore deserves support because it seeks to reinforce an important constitutional principle: no public officer should derive personal political advantage from resources paid for by Kenyan taxpayers.
Raymond Omollo's Branding Should Be Examined ¶
If the Commission intends to enforce its advisory consistently, then it must be prepared to examine cases that have already attracted public attention.
One example is Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo, whose name has appeared prominently on several publicly funded projects
Whether these branding decisions were initiated by the ministry, contractors, or other officials is precisely the kind of question that deserves independent examination.
The issue is not whether a public officer is hardworking or whether projects under their ministry have been completed.
The issue is whether publicly funded infrastructure is being used to build personal political visibility in a manner that conflicts with principles of accountability, impartiality and prudent use of public resources.
If EACC believes such branding is inappropriate, then it should determine how it occurred, whether it complied with applicable laws and public service regulations, and whether any corrective action is necessary.
One Rule Must Apply to Everyone ¶
The danger lies not in one signboard or one ministry.
The real danger is creating a precedent where every Principal Secretary, Cabinet Secretary, governor, Member of Parliament or Member of County Assembly begins attaching personal names to projects financed through taxes.
Today it may be a police station.
Tomorrow it could be a hospital.
Next year it could be every classroom, road, bridge and market.
Public institutions would slowly become permanent campaign platforms financed by the very citizens expected to hold those officials accountable.
That would undermine both public confidence and the principle that government programmes belong to the Republic—not to individuals occupying public office.
Advisories Alone Will Not Change Behaviour ¶
Kenya has no shortage of circulars, guidelines and advisories.
What has often been missing is consistent enforcement.
If the EACC genuinely believes that personal branding of publicly funded projects amounts to an improper use of public office or public resources, then issuing an advisory should only be the first step.
The Commission should follow up by reviewing reported cases, establishing the facts and, where there is evidence of misconduct or misuse of public resources, taking the action permitted under the law.
That approach would also provide clarity to other public officers who may be uncertain about the limits of acceptable government communication.
Protecting Public Resources Means Protecting Public Trust ¶
Ultimately, this debate is about more than signboards.
It is about the culture of public office.
Government projects are funded through taxes collected from millions of Kenyans. They are approved through public budgets, implemented by institutions and intended to serve citizens regardless of political affiliation.
No individual public officer should appear to claim personal ownership of those achievements.
If the EACC applies its advisory fairly and consistently—without regard to rank, office or political influence—it will strengthen public confidence that taxpayer-funded projects cannot be turned into personal political brands.
The Commission now has an opportunity to demonstrate that its advisory is more than a statement of principle. The public will judge its commitment by whether it is prepared to enforce the standards it has set, wherever the evidence leads.