TI-Kenya: Only 17 per cent of Kenyans report bribery incidents
By Faith Lagat, July 31, 2025Only 17% of Kenyans who encountered bribery situations reported them, according to the 2025 Kenya Bribery Index released by Transparency International Kenya (TI-Kenya).
The report highlights persistent corruption in public service delivery, with bribery remaining a significant barrier to equitable access to government services despite existing legal frameworks.
“The proportion of Kenyans reporting incidents of bribery remains marginally low. In this survey, only 17% of those who found themselves in a bribery situation made a formal report. This is, however, an improvement from the previous survey in 2019, when only 13% reported,” read the TI-Kenya report dated July 31, 2025.
“This positive trend can be traced back to 2017, when only 6% reported. The survey noted very low confidence levels by respondents in regard to the responsiveness of enforcement agencies. Almost half (47%) of those who did not report bribery demands failed to report because they felt no action would be taken even if they reported. The situation has been the same across the years, with 55% and 47% of the respondents citing the same reason in the 2019 and 2017 surveys, respectively.”
The national survey, conducted between February and March 2025 across 15 counties and involving 1,033 respondents, found that 25% of Kenyans faced bribery situations. Of these, 23% experienced demands or expectations for bribes, while 2% offered bribes voluntarily. Alarmingly, 68% of those who found themselves in bribery situations ended up paying the bribe.
The police were ranked the most bribery-prone institution, with a 72% likelihood of encountering bribery, followed closely by land services (64.6%) and civil registration (62.4%). “Out of every ten Kenyans who interacted with the police in the study period, seven found themselves in a bribery situation,” the report stated.
The judiciary recorded the highest average bribe at Ksh 18,800, followed by land services at Ksh 12,610.
Low reporting undermines anti-corruption efforts
Despite the alarming prevalence of bribery, the report reveals a worrying reluctance among Kenyans to report such incidents. The majority cited a lack of faith in enforcement mechanisms, with 47% of respondents saying they did not report bribery because “no action will be taken.” This distrust echoes findings from previous surveys, where similar sentiments were recorded in 2017 (47%) and 2019 (55%).
While the reporting rate has shown modest growth—from 6% in 2017 to 17% in 2025—it remains critically low, significantly undermining efforts to curb corruption.
TI-Kenya emphasised that restoring public trust in anti-corruption institutions is vital and urged the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to enhance transparency and accountability in how complaints are handled.
The organisation further called on the EACC to enforce compliance with the Anti-Bribery Act 2016, which mandates public and private entities to implement anti-bribery procedures suited to their operations.
Under Part II of the Bribery Act Regulations 2021, institutions were required to establish these procedures within six months from November 26, 2021.
TI-Kenya concluded by urging all institutions to re-evaluate their anti-bribery and whistleblowing mechanisms to align with the law. It recommended that digitisation of services, coupled with accessible and secure reporting systems, could help reduce bribery and strengthen public confidence in governance structures.