Kenya’s Ministry of Interior and National Administration has been ranked the most corruption-prone national government institution, according to the latest survey released by the country’s anti-graft agency on August 5.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) placed the ministry, headed by Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, at the top with 47.8% of respondents naming it as the most susceptible to unethical conduct. The Ministry of Health, under Aden Duale, followed at 19.7%, while the pensions department within the National Treasury came third with 5.8%. Other ministries cited were Lands and Housing (4.7%), Education (4.1%), Roads and Transport (4.0%), and Defence (2.8%).

The Kenya Police topped the list of corrupt government departments with 48.2%, followed by the Directorate of Immigration (5.1%), National Registration Bureau (4.4%), Traffic Police (3.2%), and the Social Health Authority (2.7%). Bribes were commonly paid to hasten service delivery, influence legal processes, or gain employment, the EACC noted.

The report reflects entrenched corruption in ministries managing security, public finance, and citizen documentation. These findings are significant to international observers because they concern agencies vital to Kenya’s stability and economic governance. According to Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, Kenya ranked 121 out of 180 countries with a score of 32 out of 100, indicating persistent institutional weaknesses despite reform efforts. Donors and investors closely monitor such indices to assess risks in key sectors like healthcare, infrastructure, and public safety.

Ministries with the lowest corruption perception include the Attorney General’s office (0.9%), Sports (0.7%), Water (0.5%), Trade and Investments (0.4%), Co-operatives and MSMEs (0.3%), Tourism (0.1%), and ICT (0.1%).

Earlier this year, the EACC carried out 145 unannounced integrity tests across public institutions, exposing bribery, fraudulent tax assessments, and licensing irregularities. The Kenya Revenue Authority and National Police Service were among agencies implicated.

As bne IntelliNews reported, the World Bank had initially suspended a $750mn loan under its Development Policy Operations programme due to delayed governance reforms. However, the funding was unlocked after President William Ruto signed the long-pending Conflict of Interest Bill into law on July 30, meeting a key funding condition.