EACC Chief Executive Officer Abdi Mohamud has warned that Kenya cannot recover stolen public wealth on its own as billions of shillings remain hidden in offshore accounts beyond the country’s legal reach.
Speaking on Wednesday, December 1,7 in the ongoing 11th Conference of State Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) in Doha, Mohamud said effective asset recovery now depends on strong international cooperation.
Mohamud reiterated that tracing assets concealed in foreign jurisdictions requires sustained cross-border collaboration as corruption networks have become increasingly sophisticated.
“Effective cross-border collaboration remains the cornerstone of successful asset recovery efforts,” read part of the statement.
The EACC boss said the Commission has relied on partnerships with global institutions such as the International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre (IACCC) and the Basel Institute’s International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR) to trace and recover assets hidden abroad.
According to Mohamud, these partnerships have already enabled the recovery of significant assets in corruption cases concluded by the Commission.
He emphasised that Kenya must now strengthen its global anti-corruption efforts through better funding and systemic reforms to support officers handling complex international asset recovery cases.
Mohamud also called for the establishment and strengthening of centralised beneficial ownership registries with strong verification systems and international information-sharing mechanisms.
“Such systems are essential for uncovering hidden assets and expediting the tracing and repatriation of illicit financial flows across borders,” he added.
Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority (UFAA) announced on 30 November 2025 that more than Ksh 106 billion in unclaimed assets is ready to be handed back to rightful owners.
UFAA reports noted that out of the Ksh 106 billion, Ksh 48 billion was held in cash, with the remainder invested in shares.
Efforts to recover assets locally and abroad follow earlier revelations of massive offshore transfers, highlighted by the Pandora Papers, World Bank-backed studies, and a 2025 Financial Reporting Centre report citing Ksh 6.976 trillion in suspicious transactions.
The EACC underscored its engagement at the Doha conference underlines Kenya’s commitment to sustained domestic action and global cooperation as it intensifies efforts to bring stolen wealth back to the country.
