NAIROBI, Kenya- A new national survey has laid bare the scale and complexity of corruption in Kenya, revealing rising bribery levels, widespread sextortion, and stark gender disparities in how citizens experience graft.
The Kenya National Gender and Corruption Survey 2025, released by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and other institutions, paints a troubling picture of everyday corruption across public and private sectors.
Police Lead in Bribery Cases
According to the findings, police officers top the list of public officials receiving bribes, with 35.5pc of service seekers admitting to paying them within the past year.
They are followed by civil registration officials (30pc), transport regulators (25.4pc), and land registry officers (23.3pc).
Healthcare workers and teachers, however, recorded the highest interaction rates with the public, underscoring the widespread exposure of citizens to potential corruption points.
Bribes Rising Sharply
The report shows a steady rise in the cost of corruption, with the average bribe increasing to Sh6,724 in 2025, up from Sh4,878 in 2024.
Seeking government jobs emerged as the most expensive corrupt transaction, with an average bribe of Sh85,033, followed by procurement deals and passport applications.
Judicial officers recorded the highest individual bribe amounts, with magistrates receiving an average of Sh164,367.
Women Bear Greater Burden
The survey highlights significant gender disparities, noting that women are disproportionately affected by corruption due to their frontline role in accessing essential services such as healthcare and education.
Female respondents were more likely to pay bribes to civil registration officials, while men predominantly paid police officers.
“Women are usually at the forefront when it comes to seeking services, exposing them more to corruption,” one respondent said during focus group discussions.
Sextortion Emerging as Hidden Crisis
Beyond monetary bribery, the report reveals a disturbing trend of sexual exploitation in exchange for services, commonly referred to as sextortion.
About 8pc of respondents said they were indirectly asked for sexual favours, while 2.1% reported direct requests.
Women were more than twice as likely to face repeated sexual demands, particularly when seeking employment or healthcare services.
Corruption Normalised, Reporting Low
Despite widespread experiences, reporting rates remain low. Many respondents said they did not report bribery incidents because they believed “nothing would be done” or considered it a normal practice.
Where reports were made, most were directed to police, chiefs, or the same institutions accused of corruption.
Cost of Living Still Top Concern
Even as corruption remains pervasive, Kenyans identified the high cost of living (58.4pc) as the country’s most pressing issue, followed by unemployment (36.5pc) and corruption (30.4pc).
The report recommends sweeping reforms, including the digitisation of government services to reduce cash transactions, the establishment of anonymous reporting systems, and targeted crackdowns in high-risk sectors such as policing and civil registration.
It also calls for stronger legal frameworks to criminalise sextortion and for gender-sensitive anti-corruption strategies.
The findings add fresh pressure on authorities to address corruption not just as a governance issue, but as a deeply embedded social and economic challenge affecting millions of Kenyans daily.
