Nairobi — Magistrates received the highest average bribe in Kenya at Sh164,367, according to the Kenya National Gender and Corruption Survey 2025 released on Thursday.
The survey, conducted jointly by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), underscores the high financial stakes within the justice system, even as frontline public institutions record more frequent corruption encounters.
Land registry officials followed with an average bribe of Sh17,996, ahead of Members of County Assembly (Sh13,038), immigration officers (Sh12,102), prosecutors (Sh11,809), and police officers (Sh4,656).
While judicial officers topped the list by value, police recorded the highest corruption prevalence at 35.5 per cent.
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Civil registration officials followed at 30 per cent, NTSA officers at 25.4 per cent, land registry officials at 23.3 per cent, and registration of persons officials at 21.2 per cent.
The findings highlight a dual pattern in Kenya's corruption landscape--high-value bribery concentrated in the judiciary and widespread, lower-value corruption in frontline service institutions.
The report shows that 72.2 per cent of bribes are paid in cash, pointing to the continued dominance of informal and difficult-to-trace transactions. Mobile money accounts for 10.5 per cent of payments.
Other forms include livestock such as goats and cattle (2.2 per cent), valuables like phones and jewellery (2.2 per cent), and non-monetary exchanges--such as favours, food, or services--each at about 1.1 per cent.
Bribes paid upfront
Bribery is largely a precondition for accessing services, with 84.3 per cent of bribes paid before services are rendered.
About 15.7 per cent are paid at the point of service, while smaller proportions are paid after service (9.4 per cent) or split between before and after (7.1 per cent).
Kakamega County recorded the highest average bribe at Sh79,305, followed by West Pokot (Sh16,400), Isiolo (Sh13,912), Vihiga (Sh12,309), and Garissa (Sh12,297).
Older Kenyans were found to pay significantly higher bribes, with those aged over 65 paying an average of Sh30,027, compared to Sh7,219 among those aged 50-64. Younger respondents reported lower averages, with those aged 18-24 paying Sh2,608.
The survey was presented by EACC Director of Preventive Services Vincent Okong'o at an event attended by EACC Chairperson David Oginde, CEO Abdi Mohamud, senior judiciary officials, diplomats, and representatives from international partners including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the European Union.
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Conducted under the PLEAD II programme, the study involved EACC, KNBS, the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC), Transparency International Kenya, and UNODC.
Kenya becomes only the third country in Africa to conduct a gender-focused corruption survey, after Ghana and Nigeria.
Based on interviews with 16,858 respondents across all 47 counties, the survey provides one of the most comprehensive datasets on corruption patterns in the country.
