Kenya is set to join other African Union member states in observing African Anti-Corruption Day (AUCPCC) on July 11, 2025, with a national event scheduled at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi.

The day serves as a crucial annual platform for reflecting on and strengthening anti-corruption efforts across the continent.

The commemoration marks the adoption of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (AUCPCC), a foundational instrument for promoting integrity and accountability in public service.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) highlighted on its X (formerly Twitter) platform that 48 African countries have so far ratified the Convention, actively implementing anti-corruption measures through legislation, institutional reforms, and public education.

“Forty-eight Member States of the African Union have ratified the Convention and have proceeded to put in place measures to tackle corruption, such as criminalizing corruption through various legislation, establishing institutions, and engaging in corruption prevention initiatives,” read a statement from the EACC.

The 2025 commemoration will be observed under the theme, “Promoting Human Dignity in the Fight Against Corruption.” This theme underscores a critical aspect often overlooked: corruption’s profound impact on human rights and the erosion of dignity for millions across the continent.

When public resources are diverted or misused, citizens are denied access to essential services like healthcare, education, water, and justice, directly infringing on their fundamental rights.

Concerns about the debilitating effects of grand corruption have been a recurring theme in various forums, including the 2024 AUCPCC. As Richard Goldstone, former Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa, once noted, “Grand corruption holds Africa back.

It diminishes public trust in institutions and prevents our people from enjoying even the most basic public goods and services they deserve. By hollowing out governments, it foments public health crises, starvation, deprivation, and even war. Corruption kills.”

The Nairobi event, spearheaded by the EACC in partnership with the Kenya Leadership Integrity Forum (KLIF), is expected to convene key stakeholders.

These include government officials, civil society organizations, youth groups, media, and the private sector. The forum aims to:

• Reinforce the centrality of human dignity in anti-corruption strategies.
• Raise awareness among citizens about their rights and the importance of demanding transparency and accountability.
• Encourage member states to align their national anti-corruption frameworks with the AUCPCC.
• Celebrate progress and share best practices in integrating human dignity into anti-corruption efforts.
• Provide a platform for engagement and solidarity among governments and other stakeholders.
• Encourage the protection of whistleblowers and victims of corruption.
• Recognize the importance of robust anti-corruption measures in promoting human dignity and justice.

In recent months, human rights organizations, including Amnesty International Kenya and the Kenya Human Rights Commission, have amplified their calls for a rights-based approach to anti-corruption. They argue that corruption has a devastating ripple effect, “stealing not only money, but also hope, opportunity, and justice,” and emphasize that protecting public resources is paramount to safeguarding the dignity of every citizen. Their message is clear: corruption denies basic rights and demands the same urgency as any other human rights violation.

As Kenya prepares for the 2025 commemoration, there is renewed hope that the collective fight against corruption can be transformed into a more effective effort, deeply rooted in principles of justice and respect for human dignity, particularly in light of recent high-profile corruption cases and related human rights concerns within the country.

The event will likely highlight the recently launched Kenya Integrity Plan (KIP) 2023-2028, a strategic blueprint by EACC and KLIF aimed at fostering collective action and partnerships to enhance integrity and accountability.