Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman Eliud Wabukala. The EACC
report shows the biggest bribe is given when one is seeking a tender and
can be as high as Sh196,987 FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Kenyans seeking services in government offices are forced to pay bribes of up to Sh200,000, according to a new report.
The report also states that Murang’a County and the police department are the most corrupt.
Other
counties where corruption is prevalent are Trans Nzoia, Mandera,
Kirinyaga and Marsabit, says the report compiled after a survey was
conducted in 2016.
And among ministries, Interior tops the list of shame, followed by Health, Devolution, Education, Transport and Lands.
Yet
again, the regular police department was declared the most corrupt of
all government offices and was closely followed by the traffic section,
which is an arm of the law enforcement agency.
Other
corruption cases are mostly reported in public hospitals, Immigration
department and at Constituency Development Fund offices.
ACCOUNTABLILITY
The
survey was carried out by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission
(EACC) that also established that the least corrupt county is Lamu,
followed by Taita-Taveta, Tana River and Kericho.
“The
Constitution devolved services and resources closer to the people.
Although it was intended to promote the democratic and accountable
exercise of power, we have observed a rise in corruption cases at the
county level. I call upon all county leaders to put in place measures
for combating and preventing corruption in county governance systems,”
said EACC chairman Eliud Wabukala while releasing the findings in
Nairobi on Tuesday.
The
report shows the biggest bribe is demanded from people seeking tenders,
stating that, on average, one has to part with Sh196,987 to get a
tender.
Other times when one is
required to give big bribes are when seeking employment (Sh63,687),
remarking of examinations (Sh30,000), collecting building and
construction certificates (Sh22,000) and clearance of goods from ports
and other entry points (Sh20,000), among others.
Loan applications, on average, attract a Sh200 bribe.
DEMAND BRIBES
Police
officers also demand bribes from people reporting crime and those who
want their statements recorded, says the report. Officers also demand
cash to release offenders.
Kenyans
seeking police abstracts, those taking driving tests as well as those
in need of P3 forms are also forced to part with money. At the county
commissioner’s office, bribes are given to resolve land disputes.
The
study shows that most bribes are paid at police stations, county health
departments, chief’s offices, office of the registrar of persons and
county commissioners’ offices in that order. And, in all cases, the
average bribe is Sh7,081, an increase from Sh5,648 recorded in the
previous year.
The report singles out Meru County, terming its officials the most notorious for demanding bribes.
Mr Wabukala said EACC recovered assets worth Sh6.7 billion, which will be returned to the public.
He
told government executives: “You have also individually and publicly
signed and committed to the code to fight corruption and to uphold
national values in your respective counties. I hope you appreciate the
seriousness of the commitment you made and the impact it has on the
future of this great nation. Kenyans will be watching you keenly, and
you will be judged on this commitment throughout your term of office.”
POVERTY
The chairman also urged Kenyans seeking government services to stop giving bribes.
During
the survey, EACC researchers also found that besides corruption,
poverty and unemployment, there are other major problems that Kenyans
are grappling with.
EACC chief
executive officer Halakhe Waqo also said: “Some of the services sought
include request for information or assistance, request for a document or
enquiry on administrative procedures. Although the proportion of those
paying bribes has gradually increased as compared to 2015, it is well
below the levels recorded in 2012.”
He
added: “Some of the leading forms of corruption that were highlighted
include bribery, favouritism and deliberate delay in service provision.”
The
report also identified services that are prone to corruption. They are
application for national identity cards and birth certificates.
People
seeking medical attention, registration of title deeds and law
enforcement on traffic matters were also faced with demands for bribery.
PLANNING SERVICES
“At
the county level, provision of health services, county public works
services, education and childcare, finance and planning services were
perceived to be the most prone to corruption,” said Mr Waqo.
Many
Kenyans also feel the government is not doing much to fight corruption,
saying often no action is taken against suspects. Besides bribery,
Kenyans are also angered by favouritism, rigging and embezzlement that
occur in government offices.
And to combat the menace, Kenyans said they would like to see prominent personalities being prosecuted, shows the study.
The report highly rated the media among institutions most trusted by the public, alongside religious organisations.
POOR REMUNERATION
Respondents
indicated high confidence in public broadcasting services (70.3 per
cent), private broadcasting services (69.6 per cent) and religious
organisations (63.8 per cent).
Regarding
efforts to eliminate corruption, Kenyans lowly rated government
institutions – the Executive (49.3 per cent) and EACC (43.9 per cent).
“Compared
to 2015, 42.8 per cent of the respondents think the government is
committed to the fight against corruption which represents a 10.7 per
cent decline. Those who indicated that they do not know if the
government is committed or not in the fight against corruption, almost
doubled to 12.4 per cent compared to the 2015 survey,” the report says.
Greed
for quick wealth is the biggest cause of corruption, the 2015 report
notes. It had said other causes are poor remuneration, unaffordable
services, delay in service provision, low staff morale, lack of proper
control systems and willingness by the public to give bribes.
No comments :
Post a Comment