Kenya’s public officers must declare assets by end of the year, says EACC

Kenya’s public officers must declare assets by end of the year, says EACC

This initiative reinforces Kenya’s commitment to transparency and accountability in public service.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has directed all State and public officers to submit their declarations of income, assets, and liabilities covering the year 2025.

The filing window will run from November 1 to December 31, under the new Conflict of Interest Act, 2025, which became effective on August 19, 2025.

This initiative reinforces Kenya’s commitment to transparency and accountability in public service.

In a notice released on Wednesday, EACC Chief Executive Officer Abdi Mohamud explained that compliance is mandatory.

"Filing and submission of the declarations is a personal responsibility of the State or public officer, who also takes personal responsibility for the completeness, accuracy and truthfulness of the information," he said.

Officers must report not only their own income and assets but also those of their spouse and dependent children below 18 years. Any significant changes affecting these categories must be disclosed as defined under section 31(4) of the Act.

The responsibility for reviewing these declarations lies with the designated Responsible Commissions identified under section 32 of the Act.

Where no commission is specified, the previous commission under the now-repealed Public Officer Ethics Act will continue to serve in this role until new regulations are issued.

These commissions are tasked with verifying the completeness and correctness of declarations, identifying potential conflicts of interest, and addressing any inconsistencies.

Commissions are expected to seek clarifications from officers within six months starting January 1, 2026, for missing or unclear information.

They must also ensure safe storage of the declarations for a minimum of five years after an officer leaves public office.

Additional duties include handling requests for access from law enforcement agencies, taking disciplinary action for non-compliance, referring unexplained assets to the EACC for forfeiture, and submitting compliance reports to the commission by July 31, 2026.

The EACC is also developing detailed regulations and administrative procedures to provide further guidance on the practical implementation of the Act.

Officers and members of the public seeking clarification on the declaration process can reach the commission via email at [email protected] or by mail to P.O. Box 61130-00200, Nairobi.

"The development of these regulations is underway and will provide more clarity on the implementation of requirements under the Act,” reads the notice further.

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