Report: Kenyans say graft on the rise

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission headquarters in Nairobi. Kenyans say corruption has increased compared to previous years, a new report by the EACC shows August 17, 2012.

What you need to know:

  • In 2010, 49.9 per cent of the respondents said that corruption was high, while 61.8 per cent of those surveyed in 2011 expressed similar sentiments.

  • Police (34.6 per cent), immigration officers (14.3 per cent) and provincial administrators (11.8 per cent) are mentioned as those mostly likely to demand bribes.

  • Embu County leads in average level of a bribe at Sh9,166 followed by Kisumu at Sh8,957 and Nairobi at Sh8,010.

  • The average level of bribes in West Pokot, Samburu and Isiolo counties stands at zero shillings.

Kenyans say corruption has increased compared to previous years, a new report by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) shows.

The report on a survey conducted last year shows that seeking employment and accessing government services are the main avenues through which Kenyans engage in corruption.

Police (34.6 per cent), immigration officers (14.3 per cent) and provincial administrators (11.8 per cent) are mentioned as those mostly likely to demand bribes.

“Nearly 40 per cent of the respondents indicated that they would engage in corruption while seeking employment while 30.9 per cent would corrupt to obtain government services,” the report dates May 2012 and released on Friday to the public states.

The Ministry of Provincial Administration and Internal Security is perceived as the most corrupt followed by the Ministry of Lands and that of Education. The report also says that regular police are more corrupt than their traffic counterparts.

Embu County leads in average level of a bribe at Sh9,166 followed by Kisumu at Sh8,957 and Nairobi at Sh8,010. The average level of bribes in West Pokot, Samburu and Isiolo counties stands at zero shillings.

The report shows that the level of corruption in Kenya is higher as compared to 2010. It says that while in 2010, 49.9 per cent of the respondents said that corruption was high, 61.8 per cent of those surveyed in 2011 expressed similar sentiments.

“54.5 per cent of the respondents indicate that the level of corruption increased in the last year compared to 39.2 per cent of the respondents in 2010,” the report says.

The report also shows that more than half of Kenyans (56 per cent) are under pressure to engage in corruption during their daily activities. It also says that 58.1 per cent of the respondents “tolerate the pressure” to engage in corruption.

Most improved

The report says that the Ministry of Roads is ranked as the most improved in service delivery followed by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation. While 40.7 per cent of the respondents said that the government was not handling corruption well, another 36.3 per cent think that it is moderately fighting graft well.

The report says that only 5.4 per cent of the households visited during the survey reported a corrupt act in 2011. However, 60 per cent of those surveyed indicated that they could report a corrupt act if they witnessed it happen.

“Among those who would not report corruption, 49 per cent of the respondents cited proximity/accessibility to the report centre would deter them, 42.2 per cent indicated that they do not know where to report while 3.8 per cent fear victimisation,” the report says,

Kenyans rate the media, religious organisations and the EACC as “very effective” in fighting corruption in the country.

The report recommends that the country needs to speed up efforts to adopt a comprehensive anti-corruption policy aimed at the strengthening the implementation of anti-graft measures.

“The programme should build on an analysis of the patterns of corruption in the country. It should propose focused anti-corruption measures or plans for selected institutions and have a balanced approach of repressive and preventive measures,” the report says.