Police officers, tax officials, and chiefs have been ranked as the most corrupt professional groups in Kenya, with bribery identified as the most common form of unethical behaviour in the country, according to new findings by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.

The 2024 National Ethics and Corruption Survey (NECS) places police officers at the top, with 27.6 per cent of respondents reporting them as the most involved in corruption.

They were followed by Kenya Revenue Authority officials (17.3 per cent), chiefs (16.2 per cent), county inspectorate officers (14.6 per cent), and lawyers (14.1 per cent). County revenue officers and land surveyors also featured prominently, at 13.4 and 13.3 per cent respectively.

The survey notes that while corruption is present across all professions, these groups were the most frequently mentioned in connection with receiving or demanding bribes.

On the other end, professionals viewed as least involved in corruption included teachers (24.5 per cent), journalists (22.8 per cent), university lecturers (19.4 per cent), bankers (16.6 per cent), doctors and nurses (13.9 per cent), and economists (13.5 per cent).

The survey also examined corruption trends across government ministries and agencies, highlighting the Ministry of Interior and National Administration as the most prone to unethical conduct.

It was cited by 47.8 per cent of respondents, followed by the Ministry of Health (19.7 per cent), the National Treasury’s Pensions Department (5.8 per cent), Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development (4.7 per cent), and the Ministry of Education (4.1 per cent).

“A majority of the respondents (71.9 per cent) were either very dissatisfied or dissatisfied with integrity, transparency and accountability in public service delivery in Kenya, while merely 14.5 per cent were either very satisfied or satisfied,” the survey findings revealed.

Those dissatisfied blamed their frustrations on high levels of corruption (25.1 per cent), poor service delivery (12.5 per cent), unfulfilled promises by leaders, and widespread favouritism in accessing public services.

On the other hand, those who expressed satisfaction cited improved service delivery (42.5 per cent), digitisation (7.5 per cent), action being taken on corrupt individuals (6.6 per cent), and strong anti-corruption laws and measures (6.3 per cent).

The most corruption-prone services under the national government were found to be tendering, teacher placements by the Teachers Service Commission, land matters, and employment in government bodies.

At the county level, the report identified health services, especially curative care, county inspectorate operations, public works, and employment by county service boards as most affected.

“Here, bribes are mainly demanded since it’s the only way to obtain the service. Unfortunately, most corruption and unethical conduct incidents go unreported,” the survey adds.

In terms of how citizens learn about corruption, radio emerged as the most common source of information at 73.6 per cent, followed by television (64.6 per cent), social media (32.6 per cent), and word of mouth.

The survey, conducted from November 6 to December 1, 2024, covered 5,960 households in all 47 counties using a mix of face-to-face interviews and literature review to assess citizens’ experiences and perceptions of corruption in both national and county governments.