EACC partnering with universities to mobilise youth in integrity training

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The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is set to partner with the universities in the country, in an initiative aimed at mobilising young people to champion integrity and ethical leadership across the country.

This comes at a time when Kenya continues to grapple with the far-reaching effects of corruption.

At the heart of the new partnership is Mount Kenya University (MKU), with institutions aimed at sharing the ambition to harness the energy, innovation, and demographic strength of Kenyan youth to combat corruption, a vice that continues to undermine governance and economic development.

Through structured forums, academic programmes, and student-led engagements, the initiative seeks to nurture a generation grounded in accountability and ethical values.

The collaboration framework was unveiled in a meeting at MKU’s main campus in Thika, where EACC Vice Chairperson Dr. Monica Muiru said that universities provide a critical platform to shape attitudes and influence long-term societal change.

“Our goal is to empower the youth to recognize their role in the fight against corruption and to prepare them for leadership roles grounded in integrity,” said Dr. Muiru.

She emphasised that targeting university students is strategic, as they represent a critical mass in shaping the country’s future leadership and innovation landscape.

The programme will be anchored on the Kenya Leadership Integrity Forum (KLIF), an EACC initiative that brings together stakeholders from both public and private sectors to promote ethical conduct.

The forum has already been piloted in institutions such as Kirinyaga University and PAC University, with MKU now joining the growing network of institutions embracing integrity training.

MKU Chairman Prof. Simon Gicharu welcomed the partnership, observing a shift in EACC’s approach from reactive enforcement to proactive prevention through education.

He pointed out the importance of embedding ethics early within Kenya’s education system, particularly under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).

“Integrity and ethics, when taught at early stages of learning, become easier to embrace within the community,” he said.

“I look forward to a future where schools and universities will have no examination invigilators because everybody will have been trained on ethics and integrity.”

Vice Chancellor Deogratius Jaganyi revealed plans to introduce a mandatory integrity course at the university while extending community outreach through student-driven initiatives.

“Integrity could be a common unit that every student must take, and members of the community can also be engaged through student-led programmes,” he said.

The two institutions would jointly develop a course accessible to the broader Kenyan public.

The partnership will officially kick off with the Integrity Campus Edition forum scheduled to be held at MKU’s Mwai Kibaki Convention Centre in June 2026. 

The forum will feature interactive sessions on ethics, leadership, governance, and public accountability.