Release IMF corruption report now, 50 civil society groups tell government

A coalition of 50 civil society organisations and individuals has challenged the government to make public a long-awaited International Monetary Fund (IMF) report examining corruption, governance failures and weaknesses in the management of public resources in Kenya.

Operating under the Okoa Uchumi Campaign, the coalition wants the final IMF Governance and Anti-Corruption Diagnostic Report released without further delay and formally presented to Parliament to allow lawmakers and the public to examine its findings and proposed reforms.

In a joint statement issued on Thursday, November 5, 2026, and updated by Amnesty International on Friday, the organisations argued that Kenyans have a right to access the findings of an assessment that was funded using public resources and involved extensive consultations with different stakeholders.

They maintained that keeping the document away from the public would deny citizens an opportunity to understand the governance problems affecting the country and hold institutions accountable for addressing them.

The IMF assessment was requested by the Kenyan government in September 2024, following the Gen Z-led protests that placed corruption, accountability, transparency and responsible use of public funds at the centre of national debate.

The demonstrations, which were largely triggered by opposition to the Finance Bill 2024, reflected growing public dissatisfaction with taxation, government expenditure, corruption and the country's economic management.

Following the protests, the government sought the IMF's assistance to conduct a Governance and Anti-Corruption Diagnostic aimed at examining weaknesses within public institutions, corruption risks and failures in the management of national resources.

The initial report was submitted to the government in December 2025 before undergoing a review process. The coalition said the final version was received by the government in June 2026.

The findings are expected to offer an assessment of institutional and governance challenges affecting the use of public resources, as well as weaknesses that continue to contribute to the economic difficulties facing ordinary Kenyans, grassroots communities and young people.

The organisations questioned why the findings had not been made available to citizens despite the public interest surrounding the exercise and the circumstances under which it was commissioned.

"Let us recall that this diagnostic was commissioned in the aftermath of the 2024 Gen Z protests, when Kenyans demanded accountability, an end to corruption and responsible management of public resources. The assessment involved extensive public consultations and consumed taxpayers' money, public resources and valuable time," the statement read.

The coalition's concerns come after Principal Secretary to the National Treasury Dr Chris Kiptoo indicated during the launch of the World Bank Economic Update that the government would release the IMF diagnostic report.

The World Bank assessment also identified corruption as one of Kenya's major economic malignancies, renewing attention on the need to address governance failures and improve the management of public resources.

However, the civil society groups said the government had not provided a clear date for releasing the IMF report despite the earlier assurance.

The matter was also raised in Parliament on Wednesday, November 4, when Geoffrey Wandeto sought an update from the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning on the status of the document.

According to the coalition, Parliament expects the committee to provide a response within two weeks. However, the Executive has yet to communicate when Kenyans can expect the final report to be made public.

The organisations warned that continued secrecy would undermine the demands for accountability that led to the assessment, particularly those raised by young people during the 2024 demonstrations.

They argued that Kenyans should not be expected to finance investigations and public consultations only for the resulting findings to be withheld from the people who paid for them.

"We, the people of Kenya, cannot continue financing diagnostics, commission investigations and hold public consultations only for findings and recommendations to be hidden from citizens," the statement added.

The coalition outlined three key demands to the government, starting with the immediate publication of the final IMF Governance and Anti-Corruption Diagnostic Report for Kenya.

It also wants the document formally tabled before Parliament to allow lawmakers to examine its findings, debate the recommendations and provide public oversight.

Additionally, the organisations are demanding a clear government implementation plan outlining how the recommendations will be addressed, with specific timelines for carrying out the proposed reforms.

The groups further argued that young Kenyans who took part in the #RejectFinanceBill2024 protests deserved access to information about the country's governance systems and how public resources are managed.

Among the organisations and individuals that endorsed the statement are Amnesty International Kenya, Transparency International Kenya, the Kenya Human Rights Commission, Africa Centre for Open Governance (AfriCOG), Bajeti Hub and the Institute for Social Accountability.

Other signatories include the Kenyan Section of the International Commission of Jurists, the National Integrity Alliance and the Social Justice Centres Working Group.

In total, 50 civil society organisations and individuals backed the statement, calling on the government to fulfil its commitment to transparency by releasing the report and allowing Kenyans to scrutinise its findings.

The coalition maintained that making the document public would give citizens and Parliament an opportunity to monitor the proposed reforms and demand action from government institutions responsible for addressing corruption and governance weaknesses.