Kenya’s fight against corruption must begin before public funds are lost, with young people being equipped with strong values and leadership skills, Head of the Kenya Leadership Integrity Forum (KLIF) Joyce Munene has said.
Munene said the country needs to stop treating corruption as a normal part of everyday life and instead focus on building a culture of integrity through education, mentorship and personal responsibility.
Speaking on Radio Generation on Thursday, Munene announced a nationwide mentorship programme aimed at young Kenyans, saying the initiative will promote ethical leadership, encourage accountability and empower youth to take part in the fight against corruption.
She said the programme, which will be rolled out in the 2026/27 financial year, will work with the National Youth Council, universities and other partners to reach young people at the grassroots level.
"We all have the potential to be corrupt. We're not all corrupt, but we all have the potential to be corrupt," Munene said, adding that individual decisions and values play a major role in determining whether people engage in corrupt practices.
She said the mentorship programme will encourage young people to speak out against wrongdoing, arguing that raising concerns over corruption is an important part of leadership.
"Silence is not a leadership style. For them to even speak out, it's a sign of leadership," she said. "If we reach 100 young people, we expect them to reach out to others. The mentorship programme will be a game changer in the promotion of integrity and the anti-corruption space."
Munene explained that KLIF, which is coordinated by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), brings together 20 sectors to create a united approach in addressing corruption.
The forum includes representatives from government, the private sector, civil society, media, youth groups and religious organisations, all working towards promoting integrity and accountability.
She said efforts to fight corruption should not only focus on arrests and prosecutions after offences have occurred, but should also prioritise preventing corruption before it happens.
"Kenyans tend to measure corruption with the number of arrests, but that's not the only way. The best form of corruption is the one that has not happened," she said. "If you report corruption before it happens, we prevent the loss."
Munene warned that accepting corruption as part of society could weaken efforts to build a better country, urging Kenyans to take personal responsibility in promoting honesty and ethical behaviour.
"When we normalise corruption, then it's very dangerous. Nations are not built on hopelessness; they're built on everyone doing the right thing," she said.
The push for stronger integrity measures comes amid growing concerns among Kenyans over corruption levels. According to the EACC's 2025 Kenya National Gender and Corruption Survey, 74.2 per cent of respondents believe corruption is widespread, compared to 67.6 per cent the previous year.
The survey also showed that nearly two-thirds of respondents felt corruption had increased over the previous 12 months.
Kenya scored 30 out of 100 in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, ranking 130th globally, reflecting continued concerns about integrity in the public sector.