KEPSA Foundation, led by the Executive Director Ms Gloria Ndekei participated in the three-day National Civic Society Organizations (CSO) Conference that was organised by Uraia Trust in collaboration with other partners at the Mercure Hotel in Nairobi. The event, which kicked off on 23rd November 2022, brought together civil society stakeholders to deliberate on value-based leadership and governance; nationhood and an inclusive approach to end violence against girls and women.
In a panel session on National Values and Principles of Good Governance, Ms Ndekei noted that the Foundation, through the Mkenya Daima initiative, has been instrumental in efforts to realize a value-based society. This, she said, was through the initiative’s efforts in promoting good governance and leadership; public accountability and efficient and transparent systems, as well as creating hope, confidence and optimism among Kenyans.
“To address societal ills, we need to ensure good governance and accountable leadership. Every leader has the mandate of protecting the reputation of their organization,” remarked Ms Ndekei while adding that business leaders who are implicated in corrupt scandals not only taint their reputation but also the business brand they represent.
“That is why KEPSA has been instrumental in the operationalization of the Bribery Act of 2016. KEPSA Foundation has partnered with the Blue Company and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) to advance ethics at the workplace through the Global Integrity Education Project,” Said the KEPSA Foundation Executive Director.
Ms Ndekei was joined by Ms Evans Kasena – Kwacha Afrika – Uraia Mombasa County IP, Mr Wafula Nyongesa – Directorate of National Cohesion and Values, Mr Joshua Chang’wony – Constitution and Reform Education Consortium (CRECO), Ms Patience Nyanje – Association of Women in Kenya (AMWIK), and Mr Locha Erukudi – Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP), in a panel that was moderated by Ms Sheila Masinde – Executive Director of Transparency International.
Other issues that emerged from the discussion included;
- The need to fast-track Article 132 of the Constitution which commits the President of Kenya to promote the values enshrined under Article 10;
- The need to have a monitoring framework where all agencies record what they have done to promote national values;
- Implementation, ownership and practice of our national values matter and therefore the need to explore regular assessment of corruption, transparency and accountability;
- There’s a need to interrogate the integrity of the media for ethical coverage during reporting;
- The need to foster inclusivity in all aspects of society
Uraia Trust has committed to investing resources to build “An Effective Ecosystem for Continuous Quality Civic Education and Engagement” in its strategic framework. The Trust aims to have an effective ecosystem in place that will create a platform for the foundation of a national culture of Utu. One of the critical aspects underpinning the realization of Utu is promoting dialogues that would help Kenyans realize their aspirations of a government based on essential values of human rights, equality, freedom, democracy, social justice, and the rule of law.
