By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter
Kenya, August 19, 2026 - The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has introduced new administrative rules requiring public officers to provide more detailed declarations of their wealth and formally disclose conflicts of interest when participating in government decisions.
The new mechanisms, contained in a Gazette Notice published on Tuesday, August 18, set out procedures for implementing the Conflict of Interest Act, 2025, including how officers should declare personal interests and withdraw from matters where those interests could influence their official duties.
Under the new rules, an officer must declare a real, apparent or potential conflict of interest before or during a discussion, decision, debate or vote whenever such a conflict arises.
Once the conflict is declared, the officer must recuse themselves by either leaving the proceedings or refraining from participating in the discussion, debate or vote.
The responsibility does not end with the officer's declaration.
The relevant reporting authority must submit details of the recusal to EACC within 60 days, including the officer's identity, the nature of the conflict and how the officer withdrew from the matter.
The new mechanisms have also expanded the information public officers are required to provide when declaring their wealth.
Declarations must include the officer's income, assets and liabilities, as well as those belonging to their spouse or spouses and dependent children below the age of 18.
Officers must also disclose assets, income and liabilities held outside Kenya, together with jointly owned property and the officer's share or interest in such property.
The rules set different timelines depending on an officer's circumstances.
A newly appointed public officer must make an initial declaration within 30 days of appointment.
Biennial declarations must then be submitted on or before December 31 every other year, while officers leaving public service must submit a final declaration within 30 days of ceasing to hold office.
Elected officials will also be required to make a declaration when their term ends, even if they intend to seek re-election.
The new requirements will also cover public officers who are on leave, facing disciplinary proceedings, on secondment or serving overseas.
According to EACC, the obligation remains in force unless the Attorney General grants a specific exemption through a Gazette Notice.
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“The obligation to make a declaration applies to all state and public officers, including those on leave, under disciplinary action, secondment, and overseas assignments,” the administrative mechanisms state.
The expanded requirements give EACC a clearer framework for monitoring whether public officers are separating their personal interests from official decision-making.
The conflict-of-interest provisions are particularly significant because they require an officer not only to disclose an interest but also to step away from the decision-making process once the conflict arises.
This means that an officer who has a personal interest in a matter under consideration cannot simply disclose that interest and continue participating in the discussion or vote.
The measures are part of the implementation of the Conflict of Interest Act, 2025, which established a broader framework for preventing public officers from using their positions to advance personal interests.
EACC has previously said effective management of conflicts of interest is central to preventing corruption and ensuring public officers discharge their duties objectively and transparently.
The commission had also previously warned that the new framework would require greater compliance from public officers, including through wealth declarations.
The latest administrative mechanisms now provide more specific procedures on how those obligations are to be carried out.
For public officers, the changes mean wealth declarations will need to capture a broader picture of their financial interests, while conflicts arising during official decision-making will have to be formally disclosed and recorded.
For EACC, the information provides another mechanism through which potential conflicts, unexplained wealth and other integrity concerns can be identified and investigated.
The new rules come as Kenya approaches the 2027 General Election, when scrutiny of public officials, their wealth and their financial interests is expected to intensify.
The immediate change is clear: public officers are now required to disclose more about their financial interests and, when a conflict arises, step away from the government decision at the centre of that conflict.