Kenya Hosts African Anti-Corruption Leaders, Launches New Anti-Corruption Research Centre
By Gedion Nzyoki -
NAIROBI, Kenya, June 17, 2026 — African anti-corruption leaders have called for stronger cross-border cooperation, technological innovation, and evidence-based policymaking to combat increasingly sophisticated corruption networks across the continent.
The calls were made during the 8th Annual General Assembly of the Association of African Anti-Corruption Authorities (AAACA) held in Nairobi, where more than 150 delegates from across Africa gathered for high-level discussions on strengthening integrity systems and enhancing collective action against corruption.
The meeting also marked the official launch of the Centre for Anti-Corruption Studies and Research in Africa, a landmark institution that will be hosted in Nairobi and is expected to serve as a hub for research, policy development, innovation, capacity building, and knowledge sharing across the continent.
Speaking on Wednesday morning during the opening session at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) Chief Executive Officer Abdi Mohamud said citizens increasingly expect anti-corruption agencies to deliver tangible results through the tracing, freezing, confiscation, and recovery of proceeds of crime.
Mohamud noted that sharing experiences and best practices among African anti-corruption agencies would strengthen the continent's collective capacity to recover stolen public assets and return them for the benefit of citizens.
"A particularly significant milestone of this Assembly is the launch of the African Anti-Corruption Studies and Research Centre. The Centre represents a major step forward in strengthening evidence-based anti-corruption policy, research, capacity building, and knowledge sharing across our continent," he said.
Corruption Threatens Africa's Development Agenda
Meanwhile, EACC Chairperson Bishop Dr. David Oginde warned that corruption continues to undermine Africa's economic growth and governance ambitions at a time when the continent is experiencing rapid population growth, increasing digitalization, and rising public demand for accountability.
According to Oginde, corruption discourages foreign investment, reduces resources available for public services and infrastructure, and weakens social cohesion.
The EACC chairperson observed that corruption has evolved significantly with advances in technology, making traditional enforcement approaches less effective.
"For a very long time, anti-corruption authorities in Africa have taken steps to tackle this vice, yet challenges continue to persist across the continent. In fact, corruption is becoming increasingly sophisticated with emerging technologies.
"There was a time when stolen money had to be physically carried from wherever it was taken. Today, at the click of a button, it can be transferred across the world," Oginde said.
The EACC chairperson urged anti-corruption agencies to embrace emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain to detect, prevent, and investigate increasingly complex financial crimes.
"We need to strengthen our institutional capacities by embracing innovation. Digital graft is becoming increasingly difficult to address using the systems that were employed in the past. We must innovate together by embracing technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, blockchain, and other advanced tools that can help us curb and prevent the movement of illicit resources, which today can be transferred in real time," he added.
He also emphasized the need for stronger regional cooperation, intelligence sharing, and mutual legal assistance frameworks to combat transnational bribery and ensure that no African country becomes a safe haven for stolen assets.
Oginde described the newly launched research centre as a strategic tool that will help anti-corruption agencies stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated criminal networks through continuous research and innovation.
"We are particularly honoured to have been given the opportunity to host the African Anti-Corruption Studies and Research Centre here in Kenya.
"I believe this Centre will provide us with the opportunity to stay ahead of those who seek to loot our resources because, while we may rest, they do not," the chairperson stated.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Dorcas Oduor, who delivered President William Ruto's speech, described corruption as one of the greatest obstacles to Africa's economic transformation, democratic governance, and sustainable development.
Speaking on behalf of the President, Oduor noted that while Africa is benefiting from technological innovation, expanding intra-African trade, and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), corruption continues to undermine public trust, weaken institutions, deter investment, and divert resources away from development priorities.
"The aspirations embodied in Agenda 2063, the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption, and the Sustainable Development Goals cannot be fully realized unless we confront corruption with the same determination, urgency, and collective purpose with which we pursue economic growth and regional integration," Oduor said.
She warned that corruption has become increasingly sophisticated, technologically enabled, and transnational in nature, often involving complex financial arrangements, shell companies, beneficial ownership structures, digital assets, and organized criminal networks.
"Corruption today is no longer a localized or isolated phenomenon. It has become increasingly sophisticated, technologically enabled, and transnational in character," she said.
Oduor emphasized that anti-corruption efforts must extend beyond criminal prosecution and focus on building resilient institutions capable of preventing corruption before it occurs.
Technology and Research Key to Future Anti-Corruption Efforts
On behalf of the President, she highlighted the role of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, blockchain systems, digital registries, and beneficial ownership databases in strengthening transparency and accountability.
However, she cautioned that technology alone cannot solve corruption challenges.
"We must combine innovation with ethical leadership, institutional integrity, and an unwavering commitment to the rule of law," she stated.
She also hailed the establishment of the Centre for Anti-Corruption Studies and Research in Africa as a transformative milestone for the continent's anti-corruption agenda.
According to Oduor, the Centre will bring together researchers, economists, governance experts, policy practitioners, and data scientists to generate evidence-based solutions for emerging corruption risks and governance challenges.
African Leaders Call for Stronger Anti-Corruption Cooperation
Delegates attending the two-day assembly are expected to discuss strategies for strengthening regional collaboration, improving asset recovery mechanisms, enhancing mutual legal assistance frameworks, and expanding the use of technology in anti-corruption investigations.
As the gathering continues and concludes on Thursday in Nairobi, participants expressed optimism that enhanced cooperation, innovation, and research-driven interventions will strengthen the continent's ability to prevent corruption, recover stolen assets, and build stronger institutions capable of delivering sustainable development for future generations.
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