NAIROBI, Kenya — Divorced Kenyans are disproportionately affected by corruption in transport services, with 72.9 P.c reporting bribery involving officials from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), according to a new survey by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
The figure marks the highest bribery incidence recorded across all demographic categories in the nationwide study, raising fresh concerns over governance and accountability within Kenya’s transport sector.
The report links the trend to bureaucratic processes commonly associated with life transitions, including vehicle ownership transfers, licensing, and compliance requirements that often follow divorce.
Registration of persons officers ranked second among divorced respondents at 23 P.c, followed by police officers at 20 P.c and public utilities at 15.7 P.c.
Analysts say the findings point to systemic inefficiencies that expose citizens to exploitation during vulnerable periods of transition.
“Whenever processes become complex or discretionary, the risk of bribery increases,” a governance expert noted, adding that digitisation and regulatory reforms could reduce opportunities for corruption.
The survey findings come amid ongoing scrutiny of service delivery in key government agencies, where delays, documentation requirements, and enforcement discretion often create fertile ground for rent-seeking behaviour.
Legally, such practices contravene the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act and violate Article 47 of the Constitution, which guarantees fair administrative action.
The EACC study, conducted with partners including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, highlights the need for targeted reforms in high-risk sectors such as transport regulation.
