If you are seeking employment at the Kenya Wildlife Service, you may have to part with over Ksh200,000, according to a recent report that highlights institutions where one is likely to pay the highest bribes in Kenya.
The findings, which were drawn from the National Ethics and Corruption Survey (NECS) 2024 from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, identified the public KWS as one of the public institutions most affected by corruption, specifically in the high average bribe payment department.
Despite a drop in the national average bribe from Ksh11,625 in 2023 to Ksh4,878 in 2024, the report confirmed that corruption remained deeply entrenched in several key institutions.
On average, the Kenya Wildlife Service stands out with an average bribe payment of Ksh200,000. It also accounted for the largest share of the total national bribe value, commanding 35.73 per cent of all reported bribes.
Behind the KWS was the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), where citizens reported paying an average bribe of Ksh47,129. This was followed by the Pensions Department under the National Treasury, where Kenyans reported bribes averaging Ksh40,000.
"On average, institutions where respondents paid the largest amount of bribes were the Kenya Wildlife Service (KES 200,000), followed by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) (KES 47,129) and the National Treasury (Pensions Department) (KES 40,000)," the report read.
The Judiciary registered an average bribe of Ksh30,000, with the courts being singled out within the institution. County-level Physical Planning and Development Departments averaged around Ksh23,279 in bribes.
According to the report, these institutions not only demanded high bribe amounts, but they also ranked high in the proportion of total national bribes, with the NSSF accounting for 8.42 per cent of the overall reported bribe value. The Pensions Department took up 7.15 per cent.
The NECS survey found that the most common types of bribes were giving and receiving bribes. Other forms of unethical behaviour in public service included favouritism, abuse of office, tribalism, nepotism, and embezzlement of public funds.
During the survey, 6,000 respondents were asked why they engaged in corruption, with 43.3 per cent admitting they paid a bribe to access public services. 23.3 per cent said it was the only way to access a service, while 18 per cent resorted to a bribe to speed up the delivery of a service.
The survey also listed employment and corruption as two of the most notorious challenges facing the country at the moment, at 49.1 per cent and graft at 44.6 per cent, respectively.
Poverty and high cost of living ranked as the third and fourth major problems at 32.3 per cent and 29.9 per cent, while inadequate healthcare stood fifth at 17.4 per cent.
As far as the top recipients of bribes are concerned, the report listed police officers, National Registration Bureau officers, and medical officers, including doctors, clinical officers and nurses, as well as land registry and immigration officers among the top recipients.
