Popular Celebration of the International anti-corruption day 2016

SATURDAY 3RD – FRIDAY 9TH DECEMBER
THEME: Don’t Pass the Blame! Act on Corruption Now!
GOAL: Harness power of Active Citizenship to defeat corruption at all levels of society & government
EVENT BRIEFING NOTE
Introduction
United Nations Resolution No. 58/4 of October 31, 2003 declared December 9th the International Anti-Corruption Day (IAC). This day offers the government, leaders, anti-corruption agencies, civil society organisations, the private sector and interested citizens an opportunity to engage on corruption issues and advocate for transparency, accountability, integrity and better service delivery from public institutions.
The effects on people’s lives of deepening corruption and diminishing accountability by duty bearers has touched Kenyans singularly and collectively, undermining the ability of government to live up to its obligations to essential service delivery.

The Jubilee administration ascended into power in March 2013 with a manifesto that promised to not only put an end to parliamentary immunity from corruption charges, but also “clean up government by introducing some of the toughest anti-corruption legislation in the world.” Since 2013, multiple revelations of grand corruption across government agencies has resulted in significant loss of public monies and claimed more than one third of the first cabinet, resulting in a reshuffle. In the last 12months, president Kenyatta has made repeated calls for concerted, coordinated action to defeat corruption at all levels of the Kenyan society. Laws have been enacted and/or amended to strengthen the legislative and institutional capacity to fight corruption, protect whistleblowers and affirm freedom of information. Lists of corruption suspects including high ranking public officers have been made public with promise of swift action. Despite all these, corruption remains on the ascendancy as frontline institutions unable to demonstrate tangible results in the fight against corruption, resulting in low expectations, diminished public trust and lack of confidence in either the capacity and/or willingness of these frontline institutions.
At the 7th State House Summit on Governance & Accountability held on 18th October 2016, president Uhuru Kenyatta declared that he had done all he could to fight corruption and passed the buck to frontline government institutions especially the Ethics & Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the State Law Office, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and the Judiciary. In the absence of high level convictions in grand corruption, these frontline institutions have continued blame-trading that has characterised the lack of concrete results in the country’s struggle against corruption.
The National Integrity Alliance holds that good laws and robust institutions are by themselves insufficient to win the war on corruption in the absence of a new spirit of active citizenship across all levels of society and government. In order to Detect, Disrupt, Deter and Defeat corruption, allinterventions must seek to re-build integrity as a national value and covenant, put corruption accountability at the centre of politics and elections and resuscitate Chapter 6 of the constitution.
By publicly honoring anti-corruption warriors through the 2016 Integrity Champion Awards, this year’s popular celebration of the International Anti-Corruption Day seeks to inspire and unleash the positive power of Active Citizenship to Detect, Deter, Disrupt and Defeat acorruption at all levels of society and government. #INAWEZEKANA
Expected Outcomes
1. Increased citizen demand for action and results on old and emerging corruption cases;

2. Demonstrable results by frontline anti-corruption institutions through prosecutions, asset recovery and conviction of the corrupt;

3. Increased reporting, whistle-blowing on corruption to frontline State and non-State institutions;

4. Improved knowledge and capacity of citizens to Detect, Deter, Disrupt and Defeat corruption.

5. Increased citizen action to hold political leaders and public officials accountable at the ballot for corruption;

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Jane Kingori

Grants Manager, USAID USAWA Program

Jane is a finance and grants specialist with a Master of Science in Organizational Development, Bachelor of Commerce in Finance and CPA (K). She has over 15 years’ of experience in strengthening organizations ‘capacities for sustainable program delivery through integration of best grants and financial management practices and compliance with different donor rules and regulations including USAID, UKAID, DANIDA, GCERF, SIDA and EU among others. She has served as the grants management technical lead at Faith To Action Network and Act Change Transform.