Innovative practices in Legislative oversight and research in the Fight against corruption

The focus of this study is the innovative practices in the legislature in the fight against corruption in Kenya. The overarching problem in this study is the realization that despite enacting several anti-corruption laws, the vice of corruption is still prevalent. Corruption is presumably as old as an organized society, at least as old as the time when organized society first established public institutions for its preservation and development. The study has demonstrated that while the Government has pursued anti-corruption programs since the mid- 1990s, the malpractice has persisted and in some cases intensified, suggesting that the remedial measures have not been significantly effective. The General objective of the study is to investigate the innovative practices in the legislature in the fight against corruption. It also examines the relevance of the national and county assemblies in the fight against corruption. Hence, this study has explored other anti-corruption methods and strategies outside the law to change the prevalent cultures and beliefs through public education and awareness campaigns on the dangers of corruption. A series of measures, including transparency in the funding of political parties and election campaigns, a code of conduct, and close scrutiny of the sources of income and possible conflicts of interest of the legislature. The study will use a longitudinal research design with the target population being legislative officers. Primary data will be collected through interviews and secondary data will be collected from the national and county assemblies’ library. Data collected will be analyzed using SPSS for multiple regression analysis. Findings from the study will be interpreted for the extent of the relationship among the variables. The study makes recommendations for more effective future legal and policy initiatives in an attempt to entrench honesty and integrity in the Kenyan public service through the legislative arm of the government.