The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) has raised concern over what they describe as growing corruption in the country, saying it has become so common that it is now being accepted in society and within governance systems.
The bishops warn that this trend is weakening public institutions, encouraging theft of public resources, and driving land grabbing cases across the country.
They are calling for urgent action from both leaders and citizens to reverse what they term a dangerous national drift.
In a statement released on Thursday, the bishops said corruption is no longer being treated as an exception but has become part of everyday life in public service and leadership.
They noted that this situation is eroding trust in government and allowing impunity to thrive. In their message, they said, “We Kenyans seem to have normalized greed and corruption. We no longer want to oppose it, or at best we passively accept it.”
The bishops urged Kenyans to take a firm stand against graft and reject it at all levels of society, saying collective responsibility is needed to confront the problem.
They stated, “Once more, we call upon all Kenyans that we ‘must break the chains of corruption’,” and added that practices such as bribery and theft of public funds should be viewed as “ugly and evil actions” and “above all, sins against God.”
Their statement comes in the wake of new findings from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), which show a worrying rise in bribery cases and weakening confidence in anti-corruption efforts.
According to the EACC Kenya National Gender and Corruption Survey 2025, the average bribe has increased from Sh 4,878 in 2024 to Sh 6,724 in 2025, pointing to a higher cost of accessing public services.
The report further shows that only 14.6% of Kenyans believe the government is committed to fighting corruption, while 73% say they have no confidence in state efforts.
It also reveals that 98.6% of people who experience bribery do not report it, mainly due to fear of consequences or belief that nothing will be done.
On gender-related corruption, the survey notes that 3.4% of women reported being asked for sexual favours as a form of bribe, four times higher than men, while 8.4% said they faced indirect sexual requests.
The police service and chiefs’ offices were identified as the most common places where bribes are demanded, while magistrates recorded the highest average cash bribes at Sh 164,367, followed closely by land registry offices.
Counties flagged with high corruption cases include Wajir, Meru, Trans Nzoia, and Kajiado.
The bishops further said corruption has moved beyond a moral concern and is now a serious national problem affecting governance, service delivery, and fairness in society.
They pointed to systems that allow cartels to thrive, noting the spread of kickbacks, misuse of public funds, and theft of public land and property.
They also raised alarm over alleged targeting of faith-based institutions, including land disputes involving religious organizations.
“We are appalled that only recently some powerful individuals conspired to dispossess Catholic sisters of their land in Karen and other cases of dis-appropriation of land owned by faith based institutions in the country,” the bishops said.
At the same time, they expressed concern over what they see as weak political will in addressing corruption.
“We see no serious commitment or intent to fight the monster of corruption. The goodwill to fight corruption from the top is wanting yet Kenyans continue to pay taxes faithfully.”
The bishops called on citizens to take personal responsibility in resisting corruption, urging a moral stand from the grassroots level.
“We Kenyans must make up our minds, beginning from the very grassroots, to root out and refuse to be part of this axis of evil,” the statement read.
They further emphasized the need for courage and faith in confronting corruption, quoting scripture: “Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong.”
In conclusion, the bishops warned that unless firm action is taken, corruption will continue to weaken national values, public trust, and service delivery, and they urged both leaders and citizens to restore honesty, accountability, and respect for public resources.
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