Corruption has become a norm, Chief Justice Martha Koome says, urging Kenyans to always speak against it. She notes that the vice is so ingrained that Kenyans perceive it as normal, carrying bribes to courts like offerings to church. Koome spoke at St. Paul’s University, Limuru, during the institution’s 5th Annual International Research Conference, themed “Re-conceptualizing sustainable development goals for today’s challenges and tomorrow’s possibilities.”
Koome attributes the slow realization of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals to corruption and inequality in Kenya and globally. She opines that Kenya and the world are not on track to achieve the goals, adopted by the UN in 2015, by 2030. Progress is hindered by chronic underfunding, global crises, and deep-seated social and institutional barriers, stalling nearly half of the targets.
Flanked by Chancellor Prof. Margaret Kobia and Vice Chancellor Prof. James Kombo, Koome observed that with the 2030 deadline approaching, progress has stalled on nearly half of the SDG targets and is regressing on about 18%. She urged a paradigm shift toward just, inclusive, sustainable, and forward-looking development models where economic vitality walks hand in hand with social equality and environmental care.
The conference heard that conflicts and geopolitical instability displace millions, disrupt economies, and cause setbacks for health and education. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed millions into poverty, widened inequalities, and strained healthcare systems, stalling progress on health and other goals. Global economic crises, inflation, and high debt levels in low- and middle-income countries drain resources for development initiatives.
Researchers noted that the climate crisis worsens poverty, food insecurity, and health issues, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. If left unchecked, climate change will make further development impossible. Key UN agendas for development include hunger, poverty, health, education, water, energy, and economic growth, all of which are threatened by these systemic challenges, according to the speakers.
