The Factors Influencing The Implementation Of The Three Pronged) Anti-Corruption Strategy In Nairobi County, Kenya (2003- 2011)

Abstract

One of the major obstacles affecting political and socio-economic development of the developing countries is corruption. Kenya has equally been affected by this menace overtime since its independence in 1963. To mitigate this problem, the Government enacted the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Act in 2003 after repealing the Prevention of Corruption Act which had been enacted by the colonial Government in 1956.The enactment of this new legislation laid the foundation for fighting corruption using the three-pronged anti-corruption strategy. Initially the approach used by both colonial and post-independent Governments to curb corruption was based on the investigation strategy. There was less emphasizes on the use of both prevention and civic education strategy. Despite the adoption of the strategy in 2003, the levels of corruption in Nairobi County have remained high before and after the implementation of the strategy. This study evaluated the implementation of strategy and established that its implementation process was influenced by several factors. Weber postulates that corruption in bureaucratic step-up partly occurs when members of a society or organization misuse power and authority to justify their corrupt behaviour. Further, the Public Choice theory suits to explain that public officials once appointed in office are likely to maximize their self interest by engaging in corrupt practices at the expense of the public, a verity which this study established. This study examined and evaluated the implementation of the three-pronged anti-corruption strategy in the County in the period between 2003 and 2011. One of the study's objectives was to establish the factors which influenced the institutional efforts of implementing the strategy in the County.The study was conducted in Nairobi County because it is the Capital City of Kenya; hence it provided the requisite population given its cosmopolitan and metropolitan nature than the other Counties. Further, it is also the centre of most of the public and private entities.