Kenya Ranked 137th in the Latest Global Corruption Index

Kenya was ranked at position 137 in the 2019 Transparency International’s global corruption index that was released on Thursday.

Kenya scored 28 points out of 100, putting it at position 137 out of 180 countries and territories that were assessed, according to the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).

“Since 2012, Kenya has scored between 25 and 28, out of 100, having recorded a score of 27 in 2018, depicting slow progress in the fight against corruption,” the CPI statement reads.

Kenya’s score of 28 is way below the global average of 43, with the report indicating that the country has failed to regulate funds used in campaigns despite passing the Election Campaign Financing Act in 2013.

Kenya’s Parliament delayed the implementation of the legislation to the 2022 election, making it difficult for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to monitor and regulate funds used in campaigns. The report notes that this has made elections in Kenya among the most expensive polls in Africa.

“Governments must urgently address the corrupting role of big money in political party financing and the undue influence it exerts on our political systems,” said Delia Ferreira Rubio, Chair of Transparency International (TI) in a statement.

TI further points out that the government agencies that are tasked with the fight against corruption should show real results in order to instill public confidence in the ongoing anti-corruption efforts. It added that convictions and recovery of assets are key indicators of success in efforts to tackle graft.

“Following the spate of high profile arrests and arraignments in court, anti-corruption agencies should, therefore, bolster investigations and prosecutions that will lead to convictions and the recovery of stolen public resources,” it added.

The index measures the perceived levels of corruption in the public sector in countries and territories worldwide. In the East African region, Rwanda is ranked highest with 53 points followed by Tanzania with 37, Kenya and Uganda (28), Burundi (19) and South Sudan (12).

In Sub-Saharan Africa, Seychelles and Botswana are leading with 66 and 61 points respectively. Ethiopia scored 37, Zambia (34), Nigeria (26), Zimbabwe (24) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (18).

Somalia, South Sudan, and Syria were rated as the most corrupt nations scoring 9, 12 and 13 percent respectively.