NAIROBI, Kenya – The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has released its National Ethics and Corruption Survey for 2023, revealing widespread corruption in key public institutions that continues to hinder service delivery for Kenyans.
According to the report, released on Tuesday, government departments responsible for health, transport, and public service top the list of graft-ridden offices, with bribery being a near-universal requirement for accessing services.
Among the worst offenders are the County Health Departments, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), County Commissioners’ Offices, the Public Service Commission, and County Public Service Boards—each reporting a 100% prevalence of bribery cases.
Other institutions with the same level of graft include the National Construction Authority (NCA), Teachers Service Commission (TSC), Kenya Forestry Service (KFS), Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade, and Enterprise Development.
The report further highlights institutions with slightly lower, but still alarming, corruption levels, such as the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) Office (98.2%), public hospitals (94.5%), the police service (87.2%), and the Registrar of Persons (77.5%).
The Judiciary, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the Ministry of Lands, and the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) were also named among corruption-prone agencies.
Bribery remains a major barrier to accessing essential services, with respondents reporting they had to pay to obtain a Teachers Service Commission (TSC) number, relief food, vehicle registration or transfer, construction certificates, driving licenses, CDF funds, and agricultural extension services, among others.
Regional data indicates that corruption is particularly rampant in Nyamira, Baringo, Siaya, Bungoma, Turkana, West Pokot, Samburu, Nandi, Kakamega, and Kisumu, all registering a 100% prevalence rate in reported bribery cases.
The survey, conducted among 5,100 respondents across all 47 counties, also noted a sharp rise in the average bribe amount, which surged to Ksh.11,625 in 2023—almost double the Ksh.6,865 recorded in 2022.
EACC further revealed that a majority (57.3%) of Kenyans perceive corruption levels to be high, signaling a deepening crisis in governance and service delivery across the country.
