The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has released a new report highlighting the growing corruption and bribery cases within the National Police Service (NPS).
The audit, published on Monday and presented at the Embakasi Police Training School, revealed that the amount of money Kenyans pay as bribes to police officers has surged significantly in the past year.
According to the report, the average amount of money paid in bribes to both regular and traffic police officers increased by a staggering 39.1% and 84.2%, respectively, between 2022 and 2023.
This trend has resulted in Kenyans paying an average of Ksh11,115 to receive services from regular police officers, while those dealing with traffic police officers parted with an average of Ksh7,000 for similar services.
One of the most shocking revelations in the report is the sharp rise in the cost of acquiring a police abstract.
In 2023, Kenyans paid an average of Ksh20,000 for this document, a massive increase from the Ksh2,000 they paid in 2022.
This is despite the fact that a police abstract is supposed to be a standard service under the police service charter.
Additionally, the cost of bribing police officers for personal protection services also saw a significant rise. In 2023, individuals seeking police protection paid an average bribe of Ksh6,887—far higher than the Ksh816 paid in 2018.
However, not all bribes increased. The report noted that the amount of money Kenyans paid as bribes to obtain a certificate of good conduct dropped to an average of Ksh541 in 2023, down from Ksh2,183 in 2022.
The number of Kenyans engaging in bribery with police officers has also increased.
The report indicated that 75 out of every 100 individuals admitted to bribing traffic police officers in 2024, compared to 69 out of 100 in both 2023 and 2022.
Despite the rising levels of bribery, the report highlighted that Kenyans who paid bribes did not necessarily receive better services in return.
The likelihood of being asked for a bribe while seeking police assistance remained high, yet the chances of getting improved service after paying the bribe were still low.
Why Are Bribes Increasing?
The EACC report pointed out several reasons why bribery and corruption remain deeply rooted within the police service.
One of the main factors is weak internal systems that make it easy for officers to engage in unethical practices without fear of consequences.
Another major reason is the lack of proper command accountability and supervisory control.
The report found that many senior officers fail to monitor their subordinates effectively, allowing corruption to thrive within the system.
Additionally, the structure of the police command itself was found to encourage unethical behavior.
Some senior officers were reported to be unlawfully deducting money from the salaries and allowances of their juniors, forcing them to demand bribes from the public to compensate for their lost earnings.
The report also criticized the police service for failing to implement the necessary measures outlined in Chapter Six of the Constitution to combat corruption.
The lack of compliance with the Leadership and Integrity Act, 2012, coupled with weak anti-corruption mechanisms, has made it difficult to address the bribery problem effectively.
The findings of this report highlight the urgent need for reforms within the National Police Service to curb corruption and ensure that Kenyans can access police services without being forced to pay bribes.
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