Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has partnered with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to kick off a critical initiative aimed at assessing how corruption affects Kenya’s economy.
In a statement on March 3, 2025, Mudavadi confirmed that a meeting with representatives from the IMF officially launched the IMF Governance Diagnostic Assessment Scoping Mission for Kenya. The extensive study will analyze Kenya’s governance systems to pinpoint corruption vulnerabilities.
Mudavadi described the session as productive and insightful, highlighting discussions with Rebecca A. Sparkman, IMF’s Deputy Division Chief, at the launch.
During the meeting, Mudavadi and the IMF team explored the mission’s key objectives, particularly how corruption influences macroeconomic performance and financial stability. The assessment aims to generate data-driven insights that will shape future policy decisions and governance reforms.
“We explored the mission’s objectives to assess corruption vulnerabilities and their potential impact on Kenya’s macroeconomic performance,” Mudavadi stated.
He also urged the IMF delegation to adopt an inclusive approach by engaging diverse stakeholders across Kenyan society and government.
“I encouraged the IMF team to connect with key stakeholders across national and county governments, the Judiciary, Parliament, the private sector, civil society, and faith-based organizations for a comprehensive approach,” he said.
The meeting was attended by top government officials, including Albert Mwenda, Director General for Budget, Fiscal, and Economic Affairs at the National Treasury, and Selim Cakir, the IMF’s Resident Representative in Kenya.
Government’s Request for IMF Corruption Assessment
This initiative follows a formal request from the Kenyan government to the IMF for a governance and corruption diagnostic assessment.
On October 7, 2024, Mudavadi revealed that he signed the request after consultations with President William Ruto.
“We need to take the fight against corruption a notch higher and cast away the spirit of corruption. The war on corruption has taken a long time. We must ask ourselves where corruption is domiciled so that we can tackle it head-on,” he stated.
Mudavadi emphasized that the assessment will cover all government institutions as part of a broader effort to combat corruption.
“On our volition, we have requested a governance and corruption diagnostic, and I signed off on that request on behalf of the Government of Kenya,” he affirmed.
With the IMF’s involvement, Kenya hopes to strengthen governance, enhance transparency, and curb corruption for long-term economic stability.
