Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has called for stronger accountability mechanisms and a renewed national war on corruption, warning that in today’s digital age, citizens — especially the youth — have the tools to expose financial mismanagement and demand real-time transparency from government.
Addressing the Third Cabinet Retreat and Midterm Review of the National Executive, Odinga said Kenya’s future depends not only on economic reform and youth engagement but also on the firm and visible punishment of corruption and wastage within public institutions.
“Corruption and wastage in the public sector remain a serious threat to this ideal. It has to be punished — and be seen to be getting punished,” Raila said.
He noted that Kenya’s youthful, digitally literate population is increasingly scrutinizing government operations, and any perception of impunity risks eroding the public’s trust in leadership.
“This is particularly critical in an era where the young have easy tools with which to trace usage of public funds,” he added.
Raila called for the creation of clear, accessible, and credible reporting mechanisms that track and communicate progress on government projects to the public.
He emphasized that transparency must move from being a buzzword to a practice embedded in all levels of governance.
“When we are done with all these, there must be a clearly defined, well-understood, and credible mechanism for reporting definite and tangible progress in government to the people,” he said.
The former prime minister also urged national and county governments to make the public sector leaner, more efficient, and responsive to the country’s evolving needs.
“A government that is easier and faster to navigate, less complicated and less bureaucratic, and more efficient is not a luxury. It is a necessity,” Raila emphasized.
While commending steps taken in the proposed 2025/26 budget to ease public burden, Raila stressed that lasting change requires governance rooted in integrity, not just structural reform.
“The government must make itself customer-friendly — not to win the next election, but because it is the right thing to do,” he said.
