Former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u has revealed why he resisted engaging in corrupt deals during his tenure, emphasizing the damaging effects of corruption on Kenya’s public institutions and economy.
Integrity Over Deals
Speaking in an interview on July 30, 2026, Ndung’u explained that corruption undermines institutions and deprives citizens of public benefits. He highlighted the need to build both individual integrity and institutional capacity to effectively fight corruption.
“Poverty is an institutional problem. Corruption robs what could have been used by the populace. When you distort the structure of the economy because of corruption, that’s where we go wrong,” he said, stressing that strengthening institutions alongside individuals is crucial to upholding governance standards.
Independence of Institutions
Njuguna Ndung’u acknowledged that Kenya’s public institutions have the ability to perform well but are often compromised when their independence is challenged.
“That capacity is there to do the right thing, but it is covered by the institutional failure problem because somebody wants to overrun the institutions,” he noted.
Refusal to Engage in Corrupt Deals
Reflecting on his time as Treasury CS from October 2022 to July 2024, Ndung’u said he declined to participate in any improper dealings despite pressures within government.
“The current President overruns the institutions, and that’s why everyone in those institutions will have to conform for fear. But I refused to do deals in the Ministry of Finance. I can’t do them. It follows you to your grave; it doesn’t go away with the regime,” he explained.
Experience Under President Kibaki
Ndung’u also compared his experience as Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya (2007-2015) under former President Mwai Kibaki, noting that corruption cases were met with swift public scrutiny during that era.
“There was naming and shaming even before cases reached court, which helped reduce corruption talk,” he said.
