By IP Reporter.
NAIROBI, Kenya (IP) —
Police officers, land registry officials and civil‐registration clerks top the list of Kenya’s most bribery‑prone public servants, Transparency International Kenya said in a report released Thursday, with citizens paying an average Sh18,800 to secure favours in the judiciary.
The anti‑corruption watchdog’s latest survey of 4,000 adults found that one in three respondents who had contact with the police admitted paying a bribe, often to avoid arrest or to have charges dropped.
Lands service personnel—tasked with processing title deeds and land searches—ranked a close second, followed by staff at civil‑registration offices issuing birth, death and marriage certificates.
“Kenyans continue to face systemic corruption in everyday interactions with key government agencies,” said Faith Mwangi‑Pieper, executive director of TI‑Kenya. “These findings underscore the urgent need for stronger oversight and accountability mechanisms in our public institutions.”
Although the judiciary ranked lower on the overall bribery index, the report highlighted that those who did encounter judges or court clerks paid the largest sums.
The Sh18,800 average bribe in the judicial sector was nearly double the national average bribe of Sh9,600 across all services, TI‑Kenya noted.
Other sectors cited in the report include health care, education and revenue services, where between 10 percent and 20 percent of users reported paying small bribes—typically under Sh5,000—to expedite paperwork or access services.
In response to the findings, TI‑Kenya urged President William Ruto’s administration to strengthen the Ethics and Anti‑Corruption Commission, increase transparency in procurement and land transactions, and digitize civil‑registration processes to reduce opportunities for graft.
“The fight against corruption must be front and centre of our governance agenda,” Mwangi‑Pieper said. “Without decisive action, entrenched bribery will continue to undermine public trust and hamper economic growth.”
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