Corruption remains a major obstacle to Kenya"s prosperity. Governance challenges persist, particularly in the areas of transparency and accountability. In 2024, Kenya ranked 121 out of 180 countries on Transparency International"s Corruption Perception Index underscoring the scale of the problem.
Fiscal constraints continue to limit the government"s ability to deliver essential services. Public debt stands at 70.2% of GDP and domestic revenue generation remains low. At the subnational level, counties often lack the tools and capacities for effective planning and results-based service delivery. This affects access to quality health, education, and infrastructure - particularly for women, youth, and marginalized groups.
In 2024, public dialogue around fiscal policy reforms highlighted the need for more inclusive and transparent governance. In response, the government withdrew a controversial finance bill and reaffirmed its commitment to reform.
Kenya"s recent inclusion on the Financial Action Task Force"s (FATF) grey list further signals the need to strengthen institutional frameworks to address illicit financial flows and ensure better compliance with global standards.
Objective
The programme promotes good governance in Kenya by strengthening anti-corruption and public financial management systems, and by enhancing accountability and transparency at both national and county levels. It also supports efforts to curb illicit financial flows and improve compliance with international standards. In addition, the programme contributes to the transparent and accountable use of cli-mate finance by reinforcing fiscal governance and service delivery.
Approach
To achieve its objective, the program focuses on the following four key result areas:
Output 1: Enhancing the legal and institutional framework for managing public finances and combating corruption.
Output 2: Strengthening mechanisms for holding state actions accountable, particularly in relation to gender justice and whistleblower protection.
Output 3: Improving administrative practices at the sub-national level to support impact-oriented performance management, in line with the recommendations of the State Secretariat for Impact-Oriented Public Service Delivery, while integrating a gender-sensitive approach.
Output 4: Strengthening administrative measures to combat Illicit Financial Flows.
This consultancy contract concentrates on the three BMZ-commissioned Outputs (1, 2 and 4).
Each output area comprises a tailored set of interlinked activities including analytical work; legal and policy advice; organisational development; and capacity development through formal and on-the-job trainings, coaching and mentoring; as well as peer-to-peer learning.
The programme cooperates with national authorities, civil society organisations, as well as 15 counties.
The lead executing agency for the project is the Office of the Attorney General and Department of Justice (OAG&DoJ). Other key partners include the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP), Public Procurement Regulatory Agency (PPRA), Office of the Auditor General (OAG), Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ), Council of Governors (CoG), Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Assets Recovery Agency (ARA), Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Financial Reporting Centre (FRC).
In addition to state institutions, the project collaborates with civil society organizations and county governments. The ultimate beneficiaries of the programme are the citizens of Kenya who will benefit from a more citizen-oriented, trustworthy and accountable governance.