TI-Kenya says land tops corruption complaints as it files 15 integrity cases
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Transparency International Kenya has filed 15 public interest court cases in a year over leadership and integrity failures, with land-related disputes the most reported corruption issue in its databases.
Transparency International Kenya (TI-Kenya) has instituted 15 public interest court cases over the past year focused on leadership and integrity, highlighting an ongoing battle against governance malpractices in the country.
Speaking to TV47 Digital during a National Stakeholders Evaluation Conference, Elizabeth Duya, an advocate of the High Court of Kenya and Coordinator for TI-Kenya's Citizen Demand and Oversight Program, detailed the organisation's work under Chapter Six of the Constitution, which sets out the conduct expected of public officers.
According to Duya, land-related disputes rank as the most reported corruption issues in TI-Kenya's databases. She noted that land disputes frequently escalate into broader social problems, including gender-based violence and other criminal offences across various regions.
To address citizen grievances and hold public officials accountable, TI-Kenya operates through two main avenues: public interest litigation and administrative resolution mechanisms. Under public interest litigation, the organisation acts independently or jointly with partner civil society organisations to file cases on behalf of the public interest.
For complaints managed under specific initiatives such as the Tunu project, TI-Kenya resolves issues entirely through non-court mechanisms, providing direct legal advice, filing administrative petitions to government offices, or referring cases to appropriate statutory bodies and legal aid partners.
Addressing the frequent challenge of non-responsive government offices, Duya outlined a multi-tiered escalation strategy used when officials fail to respond to formal requests or Access to Information applications. The organisation also partners with civic groups such as the Institute for Social Accountability to help citizens demand their rights through petitions and public actions. Despite ongoing bottlenecks and delayed responses from state entities, she urged the public to keep pressure on public institutions, saying there is a lot of citizen apathy at the moment but that citizens should not give up.