KENYA Country Profile

Police

Individual Corruption

The US Department of State 2008 outlines that citizens perceive the police to be complicit in criminal activity. According to Transparency International's Global Corruption Barometer 2009, more than half of the surveyed households report to have paid a bribe in 2008. At the same time, Transparency International Kenya's East African Bribery Index 2009 reports that while the number of bribes paid to the police has declined in recent years, the amount paid per bribe has increased.

Solicitation of bribes by traffic police is reportedly common. Accordingly, the police commissioner established a special police squad in 2006 that included undercover detectives with a mandate to combat corruption involving police during traffic stops, as stated in the US Department of State Human Rights Report 2008. The government arrested and charged some officers with various offences, including corruption. Nonetheless, according to the report, police officers are rarely arrested and prosecuted for corruption. According to Global Integrity 2008, the involvement of the police in corruption is the driving force that has transformed the vice into a USD multi-billion business.

The Kenyan Human Rights Commission has drafted a bill designed to help the police cultivate a culture of respect for human rights and promote transparency and accountability in interactions between police and the public, according to the Bertelsmann Foundation 2010.

Business Corruption

Foreign investors should be aware that transportation costs may rise as a consequence of arbitrary demands for bribes at road blocks and other transit checkpoints. The World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010 reveals that companies identify Kenya to perform insufficiently in relation to the reliability of police services to protect them from crime.

Political Corruption

Global Integrity 2008 points out that, over the years, KES millions have gone into the pockets of senior prison officials.

According to the US Department of State 2008, the police often employ unqualified candidates with political connections or who have paid bribes to win the position. In December 2005, a police recruitment process was halted after the Anti-Corruption Commission reported that nearly eight out of every ten candidates had either paid bribes or used their connections to obtain jobs. The police commissioner also suspended about 60 senior police officers involved in the scandal.

Frequency

World Economic Forum: The Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010:
- Business executives give the reliability of Kenyan police services to enforce law and order a score of 3.5 on a 7-point scale (1 being 'cannot be relied upon at all' and 7 'can always be relied upon').

Transparency International Kenya: The East African Bribery Index 2009:
- With a score of 66.5%, the police are ranked as the most corrupt institution by citizens. The police have been perceived to be the most bribery-prone institution in the country for seven years in a row.

- The likelihood of encountering bribery in interactions with the police is reported to be 85.5%.

- 63.4% of the respondents report to have paid a bribe in their interaction with the police.

- 10.4% of the respondents who refused to pay bribes to the police, were denied service.

- The respondents pay 3.1 bribes per year on average to the police, the average size of which is KES 3,180.

Transparency International: Global Corruption Barometer 2009:
- 55% of households who had contact with the police in 2008 report to have paid a bribe.

.Afrobarometer: Summary of Results Kenya 2008:
- 44% of household respondents report to not trust the police.

- 77% of household respondents believe that most or all police officers are involved in corruption.