Arresting corruption in Africa: Role of the youth

The document examines the pervasive impact of corruption on African youth, who are identified as both primary victims and increasingly as perpetrators. It highlights how corruption fuels instability, conflict, and migration, while arguing that current youth engagement in anti-corruption efforts is superficial. The brief recommends structural changes, including amending the AU Advisory Board on Corruption's membership and implementing access to information laws, to ensure youth are active partners in designing and driving anti-corruption initiatives.

• Corruption severely undermines development, governance, and democracy in Africa, with young people—defined by the African Youth Charter as those aged 15 to 35—being the most exposed as students, voters, workers, and customers.
• There is a causal link between corruption and state instability; it can trigger large-scale organised violence through the illegitimate use of public resources and impede post-conflict peacebuilding by weakening the legitimacy of public institutions.
• African youth are increasingly tolerating and condoning corruption, with some viewing government positions as an easy way to make money. In East Africa, surveys show 58% of youth in Tanzania believe the method of making money is irrelevant if one avoids jail, 55% in Uganda admire those who make money 'by hook or by crook', and 30% in Kenya believe corruption is profitable.
• Institutionalised corruption acts as a push factor for the dangerous migration of young people from and within Africa, and these migrants often face further demands for bribes along their routes.
• Current youth participation in anti-corruption efforts is described as limited and superficial, often consisting of one-off discussions that do not influence core structural policy decisions.
• The AU Advisory Board on Corruption (AU-ABC) lacks youth representation; none of its 10 members fall within the AU's youth age bracket of 15 to 35.

APA

Murimi, E. K. (2018). Arresting corruption in Africa: Role of the youth. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb119.pdf

Chicago

Murimi, Edward Kahuthia. Arresting corruption in Africa: Role of the youth. Institute for Security Studies, 2018. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb119.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Murimi |first1=Edward Kahuthia |title=Arresting corruption in Africa: Role of the youth |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=2018 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb119.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{murimi2018arresting, author = {Murimi, Edward Kahuthia}, title = {{Arresting corruption in Africa: Role of the youth}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2018}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb119.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }