The National Police Service has emerged as the most corrupt public agency in Kenya, with nearly half of respondents placing it at the top, reflecting growing public concern over access to essential services across the country.
According to the Kenya National Gender and Corruption Survey 2025, 45.8% of those surveyed ranked the police as the leading institution in corruption. Closely following is the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, ranked the most corrupt ministry by 45.1% of respondents, pointing to serious governance concerns within security-related sectors.
The findings show that access to services is often tied to informal payments. The report states that “overwhelming majority of bribes (84.3 percent) are paid before services are rendered,” indicating that bribery often acts as a gatekeeper to public services.
Cash continues to dominate bribery transactions at 72.2%, while mobile money accounts for 10.5%, showing that informal payment methods remain widely used despite the spread of digital financial systems.
Police officers recorded the highest bribery prevalence at 35.5%. They are followed by civil registration officials at 30.0%, National Transport and Safety Authority officers at 25.4%, and land registry officers at 23.3%.
The report also points to clear gender differences in bribery experiences. Men are more likely to bribe police officers at 41.6%, while women more often report bribing civil registration officials at 30.8%.
At the same time, corruption appears to be getting more expensive. “The national average bribe increased considerably from Sh4,878 in 2024 to Sh6,724 in 2025, representing a 38 percent increase,” the report states.
Regional variations are also evident. Kakamega County recorded the highest average bribe at Sh79,305, largely linked to interactions with judicial officers.
Age and location influence bribery patterns as well. Younger respondents aged 18 to 24 are more likely to pay bribes to civil registration officials, while those aged 65 and above frequently pay bribes to immigration and NTSA officers. Rural residents pay higher average bribes at Sh7,502 compared to Sh5,603 in urban areas, and are more likely to use cash.
The report further highlights low levels of reporting. It shows that “98.6 per cent of Kenyans who paid bribes did not report their experience to any official institution.” Among those who reported, many indicated that no action was taken, raising questions about trust in accountability systems.
Beyond financial corruption, the survey also highlights cases of sexual exploitation in service delivery. About 8.4% of respondents reported indirect requests for sexual favors, with women more affected at 9.3% compared to 7.4% of men.
Public perception of corruption remains high and is rising. The survey shows that 74.2% of respondents consider corruption levels to be high in 2025, up from 67.6% the previous year. Despite this, 78% of Kenyans say they would refuse to engage in corruption under any circumstances, showing a gap between public values and lived experiences.
The study used a mixed-methods approach, combining both quantitative and qualitative data to provide detailed insights. Information was gathered through structured household questionnaires using digital tools, alongside 20 focus group discussions and seven key informant interviews with governance experts from state and non-state actors.
Participants were adults aged 18 and above, selected using the Kish Grid Technique to ensure broad national representation and strengthen the reliability of the findings.