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Kenyans pay Sh4,000 bribe on average

EACC Chairman Mumo Matemu says this is because public officials stationed outside Nairobi are placed under less scrutiny/FILE

EACC Chairman Mumo Matemu says this is because public officials stationed outside Nairobi are placed under less scrutiny/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 12 – A survey conducted by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has found that on average, Kenyans pay Sh4,601 per bribe for public services.

The Baringo County average however is much higher at Sh20,075, followed by Kirinyaga at Sh15,924.29 and Nakuru at Sh8,466.67.

West Pokot residents, the report says, pay the lowest in bribes at an average of Sh300 per bribe followed by Marsabit at Sh500 and Samburu at Sh571.67.

“On the other hand, Uasin Gishu County ranked highest with respondents paying for the bribes demanded. This was followed by Nairobi, Narok and Kakamega,” the EACC National Survey on Corruption and Ethics, 2012 reads.

Uasin Gishu, it also emerged, is also the county in which the highest number of bribes are demanded followed by Samburu, Embu and Meru counties.

The EACC which had invited all 47 Governors to the launch of the survey findings now wants to work with their county governments to keep the corruption that has plagued the national government from devolving any further.

“One county actually came to us to ask that we help them develop a corruption prevention bill…That was a very good move,” EACC chairman Mumo Matemu recommended.

Interestingly, at the individual level, it emerged that public servants actually pay more in bribes than the average household at Sh5,093.45 on average compared to Sh2,606.78.

More in line with expectations however, entrepreneurs eke out the most in bribes at an average of Sh8,698.62 per greased palm.

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On a national level, the Kenya Police Service took the top spot as the most corrupt government department in 2012 in keeping with the corruption index released by Transparency International Kenya in July.

And while the Inspector General of Police acknowledges that there is a problem, he holds the Kenyan public partly responsible for agreeing to the extortion; a position Matemu concurred with.

“What we find surprising is that some Kenyans are saying yes, we were ready to pray bribes and they are also saying we were not ready to report. So our message today and we must repeat it now is to tell Kenyans that they should not sit and wait for EACC to fight corruption,” Matemu stressed.

The EACC survey was conducted between September 24 and November 4, 2012 and the findings were based on the answers of 6,744 respondents.

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