The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has called for accelerated digital transformation in public institutions, saying technology can help seal loopholes, improve transparency and accountability, and strengthen efforts to prevent and combat corruption in Kenya.
Speaking to the press, the commission’s CEO Abdi Mohamud, urged justice sector institutions to embrace digital transformation as a strategic tool for promoting transparency, accountability and the fight against corruption.
He made the remarks during a high-level panel discussion during the 38th NCAJ Council Meeting held in Mombasa.
“Technology is now the biggest enabler for corruption prevention, law enforcement and transparency. For justice sector agencies, secure digital systems should no longer be optional, but a key component of our day-to-day functions,” he said.
He added that the digital transformation offers a unique opportunity to deepen inter-agency collaboration in preventing, detecting, investigating, prosecuting and adjudicating corruption cases, while improving service delivery.
He urged justice sector actors to integrate their information systems for secure, real-time exchange of intelligence and evidence, coordinated investigations and prosecutions and stronger electronic evidence management.
Further, the CEO also called for wider adoption of data analytics and artificial intelligence to detect conflicts of interest, flag procurement red flags, analyse suspicious payment patterns and map beneficial ownership networks linked to corruption.
He stressed that this must be matched by continued investment in capacity building in digital investigations, forensics, AI, cyber security and digital ethics alongside robust governance frameworks to protect privacy and ensure technology complements, not replaces, professional judgment and due process.
Launching the reform instruments, among them the Justice Sector ICT Policy and Action Plan, Chief Justice Martha Koome underscored the importance of collaboration among justice sector institutions, noting that the public experiences the justice system as one interconnected chain, not separate institutions and that weaknesses in one link undermine confidence in the whole system.
“Together, through the NCAJ, we must continue to strengthen public confidence in the rule of law, deepen access to justice and build a justice system that is truly people-centred,” she said.
The launch marks a significant milestone in the digitization of Kenya’s justice system, reaffirming the sector’s commitment to technology, institutional collaboration and people centred justice.
