Public hospitals, TSC, NTSA among state offices where bribes for services are a must – Report

NTSA officials and traffic police conduct road safety compliance checks on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway. NTSA is among public institutions with the highest corruption prevalence. (Photo: NTSA)

By Lucy Mumbi
Tuesday, February 11, 2025

EACC noted that the national average bribe rose significantly in 2023, with Kenyans paying an average of Sh11,625 per transaction, up from Sh6,865 in 2022.

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), and the Kenya Forestry Service (KFS) are among the public institutions with the highest corruption prevalence, according to a new report by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

In its National Ethics and Corruption Survey 2023, the anti-corruption watchdog highlighted widespread corruption in key public offices, hampering the fair delivery of services to Kenyans.

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The report, released on Tuesday, ranked the county health departments, NTSA, county commissioners’ offices, the Public Service Commission, and county public service boards as the top five most corrupt institutions, each with a 100 per cent corruption prevalence.

The report indicated that respondents who sought services from these offices reported having to pay bribes to expedite processing.

Other institutions with a 100 per cent corruption prevalence include the National Construction Authority (NCA), TSC, KFS, Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade, and Enterprise Development.

The Constituency Development Fund (CDF) offices followed closely with a 98.2 per cent corruption prevalence, while dispensaries and public hospitals recorded a 94.5 per cent prevalence. The regular police, responsible for maintaining law and order, registered an 87.2 per cent prevalence, while the office of the Registrar of Persons, which handles identity cards, recorded 77.5 per cent.

Other government entities flagged for corruption include the Judiciary, the police service, the Ministry of Lands, the Ministry of Health, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).

“The indicator reveals that the impact of bribery on service delivery is more evident in applications for TSC numbers, seeking relief food, vehicle registration or transfer, obtaining a construction certificate, applying for a driving licence, accessing CDF funds, and seeking agricultural extension services,” reads the report.

The survey also found that Nyamira, Baringo, Siaya, Bungoma, Turkana, West Pokot, Samburu, Nandi, Kakamega, and Kisumu counties had the highest corruption prevalence, all at 100 per cent.

EACC noted that the national average bribe rose significantly in 2023, with Kenyans paying an average of Sh11,625 per transaction, up from Sh6,865 in 2022.

The findings were based on a survey conducted among 5,100 respondents from all 47 counties. The majority of those surveyed (57.3 per cent) perceived corruption levels in the country as high.