Police officers, medical professionals, and staff from key government departments have been ranked among the leading recipients of bribes in the public service, according to the 2024 National Ethics and Corruption Survey by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
The report reveals that police officers accounted for the highest proportion of reported bribe-taking cases at 29.93 per cent, followed by officials from the National Registration Bureau at 19.7 per cent. Medical officers, including doctors, clinical officers, and nurses, were third with 9.53 per cent, while land registry officials and immigration officers were cited at 7.39 per cent and 5.8 per cent respectively.
Other public officials mentioned include:
- Public hospital health workers: 4.94 per cent
- Chiefs and assistant chiefs: 3.95 per cent
- Officers in Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs): 2.49 per cent
- NTSA officers: 1.84 per cent
Additional government institutions named include the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), Teachers Service Commission (TSC), county executive staff, Members of County Assembly (MCAs), and Lands Commission officials, with percentages ranging from 0.83 to 1.4 per cent.
The survey also found that 99.5 per cent of bribes were paid in cash, with only 0.5 per cent paid in kind, such as food or drink.
In terms of timing, the majority of respondents (75.6 per cent) reported paying bribes before receiving services. Another 18.5 per cent paid during service delivery, 3.1 per cent paid after receiving the service, while 2.8 per cent paid both before and after.
The report also highlighted other officials implicated in bribery incidents, including:
- Huduma Centre staff
- Tax and county revenue officers
- Teachers, lecturers, and professors
- County inspectorate officers
- Civil registration and traffic police officers
- Prison officers and social service staff
- DCI officers, MPs, prosecutors, magistrates and judges
- KWS personnel, members of the Armed Forces, and Treasury officers
The EACC survey showed a significant increase in the number of citizens who were asked to pay bribes for services — rising to 25.4 per cent in 2024, up from 17.7 per cent in 2023. Of those who sought services, 17.1 per cent admitted to paying bribes.
Asked why they gave bribes, 43.3 per cent of respondents said it was demanded, 23.3 per cent said it was the only way to access the service, and 18 per cent paid to avoid delays.
Despite the high rate of bribery, 72.5 per cent of those who paid bribes expressed dissatisfaction with the services they received — a sharp contrast to the 20.7 per cent who said they were satisfied.
