An Assessment of Challenges Facing Ethical Practices in the Public Sector in Kenya A Case of Ethics and Anti Corruption Commision
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Date
2019-05
Authors
Githae, Nicholas Muia
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
World over, public officials have often been embroiled in scandals of varying magnitude. The
genesis for most of these scandals is the gradual deterioration in ethical behavior of public
officials, which has given rise to all kinds of malpractices. This has triggered condemnation from
various stakeholders, especially the general public, for the development and implementation of
policies that address ethics, integrity, transparency, accountability and professionalism, to
promote accountability in the management of public resources and improve public sector results.
Literature on ethical practices has focused heavily on the effects of corruption and the laws
enacted to address it. There is scant literature on the challenges to ethical practices in the public
sector in Kenya. This is despite the mounting evidence available on the challenges in tackling
ethical practices in the country. The above necessitated this research with the aim of addressing
the above knowledge gap on the subject. The study sought out to investigate the challenges of
ethics, accountability, transparency, integrity and professionalism in the public service. It
specifically discussed how procedural factors, institutional factors, social cultural factors and
economic factors challenge the practice of integrity and ethical practices in Kenya’s public
service. The research project is anchored on the Public Choice Theory and Broken Window
Theory. The research project relied on primary data collected from the ethics and anti-corruption
commission office. Procedural factors, institutional factors, socio-cultural factors, economic
factors, were found to be satisfactory in explaining integrity and ethical practices in the public
sector. This is supported by coefficient of determination also known as the R square of 72.4%.
This means that procedural factors, institutional factors, socio-cultural factors, economic factors
explain 72.4% of the variations in integrity and ethical practices. The R2 before moderation was
72.4% but after moderation the R2 improved to 75.9%. This implies that legal framework
enhances the provision of integrity and ethical practices in the public sector. Regression analysis
indicated that procedural factors and integrity and ethical practices in the public sector had a
positive and significant relationship (r=.228, p=0.030). It was also found that institutional
factors and integrity and ethical practices in the public sector have a positive and significant
relationship (r=.390, p=0.000).The study also established that social cultural factors and integrity
and ethical practices in the public sector have a positive and significant relationship (r=.277,
p=0.004). Social cultural factors and integrity and ethical practices was found to have a positive
and significant relationship (r=.282, p=0.007). The study concluded that procedural factors,
institutional factors, socio-cultural factors, economic factors, impede integrity and ethical
practices in the public sector in Kenya. The study recommends the revision of procedures in
investigating and prosecuting individuals who commit economic crimes. The procedures should
be systematic and supported legally. The study recommends the cooperation of various
government institutions in taming and fighting graft. The various institutions include department
of Criminal Investigation, EACC, the Judiciary, civil society and the religious groups. When this
entire group pulls together, graft in Kenya will be rooted out. It was also recommended the
inclusion of ethics and moral lessons in school curriculum. It is important that young generations
are taught on the importance of being honest right at an early age. The society including
community leaders, parents, religious leaders and teachers should teach good morals among the
younger generation. The study recommends the facilitation of all institutions by enhancing their
Description
A Research Project Submitted to the School of Humanities and
Social Sciences in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for
the Award of the Degree of Master of Public Policy and
Administration of Kenyatta University, May, 2019