The Judiciary has been ranked as the most expensive public institution to bribe in Kenya, according to the 2025 Kenya Bribery Index released by Transparency International (TI) Kenya.

The report, unveiled on July 17, 2025, reveals that Kenyans seeking services from the Judiciary hypothetically part with an average bribe of Sh18,800 marking a 33% increase from the 2017 figures.

"The Judiciary was the worst-ranked institution, with an average bribe of Sh18,800. In real terms, this means each Kenyan accessing judicial services would be expected to pay over Ksh18,000 in bribes," TI Kenya noted in the report.

Land services ranked second, with average bribes of Sh12,610 up by 40% from 2017 while motor vehicle and business licensing, alongside police services, rounded off the top five most corruption-prone sectors.

The report observed that despite efforts to curb graft in these areas, significant improvements remain elusive. Notably, the same three sectors Judiciary, land, and police also topped the 2019 list, indicating persistent systemic weaknesses.

The most dramatic rise was reported in business licensing, where bribe amounts skyrocketed by 141%, from Sh3,601 in 2017 to Sh7,563 in 2025. Similarly, the average bribe to police officers surged by 97%, from Ksh3,485 to Sh6,862.

Transparency International linked these spikes to growing unemployment, which has driven more Kenyans into informal trade and small businesses sectors heavily regulated by licensing authorities.

Other institutions that featured in the report include the Kenya Revenue Authority (tax services), where bribes averaged Sh6,805, education services (Sh4,510), health services (Sh2,058), civil registration (Sh1,270), and Huduma Centers (Sh1,055).

Despite the alarming figures in some sectors, the report did highlight a few positive trends: Huduma Centre bribes dropped by 16%, while the health sector saw a 19% decline in bribery levels.

The findings paint a concerning picture of entrenched corruption in Kenya’s key public service sectors, with TI Kenya urging stronger enforcement of anti-corruption laws and greater institutional accountability.