President William Ruto has urged African countries to adopt technology as a key weapon in tackling corruption.
Ruto said digital tools can help authorities identify fraud, improve accountability and close gaps that allow public resources to be misused.
In remarks read for him by Attorney General Dorcas Oduor at the Annual General Assembly of the African Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (AAACA) in Nairobi, he said Africa must use emerging technologies against increasingly complex corruption networks.
The gathering also saw the launch of the Centre for Anticorruption Studies and Research in Africa at the Central Bank of Kenya Institute of Monetary Studies.
The President said corruption has become a technology-assisted, cross-border crime that demands creative and coordinated action from governments and anti-corruption bodies.
“Data analytics, artificial intelligence, integrated financial management systems, digital registries, open contracting platforms, beneficial ownership databases and blockchain-based solutions offer major opportunities to identify irregularities, improve accountability and limit abuse,” he said.
Still, Ruto warned that technology by itself cannot defeat corruption.
“Innovation must be matched with ethical leadership, institutional integrity and a firm commitment to the rule of law,” he said.
Ruto stressed that effective anti-corruption work must go beyond arrests and court cases, saying lasting progress depends on institutions that can stop corruption before it happens.
“A key lesson from successful anti-corruption jurisdictions worldwide is that lasting progress depends not only on criminal prosecution, but also on resilient institutions that prevent corruption before it occurs,” he said.
He called for broad anti-corruption approaches combining prevention, enforcement, public awareness, asset recovery, transparency and citizen involvement.
He said these steps are vital for realizing the goals of Agenda 2063, the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Ruto cautioned that corruption is no longer confined to one country, as illegal proceeds move quickly across borders through complex financial systems, shell companies, beneficial ownership arrangements and digital assets.
“Corruption today is no longer a localized or isolated phenomenon. It has become increasingly sophisticated, technology-driven and transnational,” Ruto said.
Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission Chief Executive Officer Abdi Mohamud supported the President’s remarks, saying corruption is now a continental and global challenge requiring joint action by governments and institutions.
He said the assembly would offer a forum to examine emerging threats tied to digital financial systems, virtual assets and complicated corporate structures.
“Although technology has created unprecedented opportunities for development, it has also opened new ways of hiding illicit wealth. Our institutions must therefore keep strengthening their technical capacity to detect, investigate and prosecute corruption in the digital age,” Mohamud said.
EACC Chairperson Dr David Oginde said corruption continues to weaken Africa’s development agenda by slowing economic growth, discouraging investment and diverting resources from essential public services.
“Let this Nairobi meeting produce concrete commitments on cross-border asset recovery, joint training protocols and shared technological platforms,” Oginde said.
He said the newly launched Centre for Anticorruption Studies and Research in Africa would be important in producing research-based solutions suited to the continent’s governance realities.
The centre is expected to improve knowledge sharing and support practical strategies for tackling corruption across Africa.
The conference brought together anti-corruption agencies, policymakers and governance experts from across the continent, underscoring the growing view that technology, regional cooperation and strong institutions are vital in Africa’s fight against graft.