EACC pushes for cross-border crackdown to recover billions in stolen public assets
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has called on African countries to strengthen cross-border cooperation in tracking illicit financial flows and recovering public assets suspected to have been acquired through corruption. The commission warned that differences in national laws, delays in investigations and poor coordination between jurisdictions continue to complicate efforts to…
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has urged African nations to enhance cross-border collaboration in uncovering illicit financial flows and reclaiming public assets believed to have been obtained through bribery. During the 4th COMESA–International Relations Society of Kenya (IRSK) Annual Conference in Nairobi from November 11 to 13, 2026, experts from the financial, legal, judicial, and asset recovery sectors addressed the challenges faced by African anti-corruption agencies in recuperating stolen wealth.
At a plenary session moderated by CEREAC Executive Director Dr Susan Kinyeki, the participants emphasized the importance of Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) as a crucial instrument for conducting cross-border investigations, with legal discrepancies, delayed responses, and inadequate coordination among countries identified as primary impediments to asset recovery.
Kenya's Mutual Legal Assistance Act, 2011 already establishes a legal framework for obtaining assistance from foreign jurisdictions in criminal investigations and asset recovery. The EACC has successfully recovered assets exceeding Ksh30 billion in the past decade, with Ksh3.6 billion and Ksh3.4 billion in the 2025/2026 and 2024/2025 fiscal years, respectively.
The Nairobi conference also addressed the impact of digital financial services and emerging technologies on the financial crime landscape, emphasizing the need for more coordinated efforts among investigative agencies, financial institutions, prosecutors, and judicial authorities to address these challenges.
Written by urgent.news from People Daily Kenya's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
