By Ken Muthomi - Reporter
Kenya ,June 23, 2026 - The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has threatened to take action against public officers who are branding publicly funded projects and programmes with their personal identities.
In a statement on Tuesday, EACC CEO Abdi Mohamud said the commission had observed an emerging trend in which political leaders are increasingly displaying their names, images, portraits, or the symbols of politicians and political parties on publicly funded projects, even though such branding is not required during implementation or after completion of the projects.
The commission has warned that this practice amounts to abuse of office, misuse of public resources, and unethical conduct and contravenes several sections of the Constitution, which may attract administrative or legal actions.
The anti-graft agency particularly cited Articles 10, 73, and 75 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, as well as the Public Finance Management Act, 2012, and the Leadership and Integrity Act, 2012, which call for public officials to uphold integrity while in office.
"The Constitution sets out clear guiding principles on leadership and integrity, emphasising that state and public officers shall act in a manner that upholds transparency and accountability in the management of public resources, and maintain high standards of integrity in the discharge of their duties," the commission said.
The commission has urged public officers to remain firm in acting in a manner that promotes public interest over personal or political gain.
Where recognition is necessary, the relevant implementing public entity should clearly indicate whether the project or programme is supported by the National or County Government, without including personal identifiers or portraits.
The move seeks to address the long-standing trend that has persisted for years, especially when the country nears the election period, where politicians attach their details to projects to boost their visibility and political appeal to Kenyans.
The branding often becomes more pronounced during campaign seasons, with infrastructure projects such as roads, markets, water projects, and schools, among others, being associated with individual leaders despite being financed using public resources.
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