EACC Launches The National Ethics And Corruption Survey

EACC Chairman Archbishop (Rtd.) Eliud Wabukala, EBS making his remarks during the launch of the National Ethics and Corruption Survey report at KICC, Nairobi.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission today launched The National Ethics and Corruption Survey 2017. The launch of the Survey Report was presided over by Muthoni Kimani, Director, Assets Recovery Agency together with the Commissions Chairman Rtd. Archbishop Eliud Wabukala and the Commissions Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Halakhe D. Waqo.

The Surveys overall objective was to provide data to inform anti-corruption strategy in the country. The Survey was comprehensive covering all the 47 Counties with 5,977 household respondents and 15 Key informants and was conducted from 18th September to 24th October 2017. The Survey being population based, relied on the fifth National Sample Survey and Evaluation Programme (NASSEP V) developed and maintained by Kenya National Bureau of Statistics in identifying a representative sample.

The Highlights of the Survey are as follows:

a) Magnitude of Corruption and Unethical Conduct

• Over 63 percent of the respondents sought government services in the past one year
• Over 38.9 percent of the service seekers experienced some form of corruption either directly (27%), indirectly (9.8%) or voluntarily offered (2.1%);
• Those who paid bribes to obtain services in public offices increased markedly to 62.2 percent from 46 percent posted in the 2016 Survey;
• Wajir County (90%) recorded the highest proportion of service seekers who paid bribes to obtain government services followed by those in Meru (88.5%), Trans Nzoia (83.3%) and Kajiado (81.5%);
• Application and or collection of a birth certificate is the service most prone to bribery followed by registration, collection or renewal of a national Identification Card (ID), seeking medical attention and seeking of employment;
• The Chiefs Office led public offices where bribes were paid most followed by Regular Police/Police Stations, Registrar of Persons Offices, County Health Department, Ministry of Lands, Ministry of Health and Huduma Centres;
• The average times a bribe is demanded reduced to 1.57 times nationally from 1.66 in the 2016 Survey;
• The average times a bribe was paid increased marginally by 0.05 times from 1.27 times recorded in the 2016 Survey to stand at 1.33 times;
• The average bribe dropped to Kshs. 5,058.75 in 2017 from Kshs. 7.081.05 recorded in the 2016 Survey;
• Overall, 45.6 percent of the respondents who paid bribes were satisfied with the services provided, 21.8 percent were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied while 35.8 percent were dissatisfied;
• Over 67 percent of the respondents are aware of ethical conduct in the public service of which 57 percent witnessed a violation of government ethical standards, regulations, procedures, policy, law or a corrupt act by a public officer in the past 12 months but only 7.3 percent reported to relevant authorities; and
• Potential harassment and reprisal (77.6%) is the main reason majority of unethical and corruption matters are not reported for investigation.

L-R EACC Deputy CEO Mr. Michael Mubea, EBS, EACC Commissioner Dr, Dabar A. Maalim, EACC Chairman Archbishop (Rtd.) Eliud Wabukala, EBS Ms. Muthoni Kimani, Director, Assets Recovery Agency, EACC CEO, Mr. Halakhe Waqo CBS, and EACC Vice Chair Commissioner Sophia Lepuchirit follow proceedings during the launch of the National Ethics and Corruption Survey Report

b) Effectiveness and Support for Anti-Corruption Initiatives

• At personal level, 61.7 percent of the respondents have done nothing to support the fight against corruption and promotion of sound ethical standards in the country;
• The perception of government commitment in the fight against corruption has been declining from 53.5 percent in 2015 to 42.8 percent in 2016 to 42.9 percent in 2017;
• Over 59.4 percent of the respondents affirmatively indicated that government services have improved in the past one year;
• The provision of key citizen cantered services at Huduma Centres in the country awareness levels stand at 94.1 percent whereby 35.4 percent of the respondents have utilized the services;
• Religious organizations (60.8%), the Executive (43.3%), the Judiciary (41.9%) and Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (37.4%) were rated as committed in the fight against corruption and unethical conduct;
• The Police (66.9%), Governors (43.6%), Members of County Assembly (43.5%) and Members of Parliament (41.4%) were rated as uncommitted; and
• Private Broadcasting Service Stations (72.6%) commands the highest confidence followed by Religious Organizations (70.9%), Public Broadcasting Service Stations (65.6%), the Judiciary (57.3%), the Executive (57.3%) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (54.9%) in the fight against corruption and unethical conduct.

Muthoni Kimani, Director Assets Recovery Agency making her remarks during the launch of the National Ethics and Corruption Survey

c) Access to Ethics and Anti-Corruption Services

• Awareness about Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has been increasing over time from 41.9 percent in 2015 to 55.8 percent in 2016 to stand at 58 percent in 2017;
• Over 54 percent of the respondents knew EACC by listening to radio programmes followed by 23.1 percent through television viewing while 4.9 percent through discussions with friends and neighbours;
• Overall, 45.5 percent of the respondents who are aware of EACC think that EACC is effective in the fight against corruption and promotion of sound ethical behavior in the country as opposed to 54.5 percent who are of opposing opinion;

EACC CEO Mr. Halakhe Waqo handing over the National Ethics and Corruption Survey Report during the launch at KICC

d) Perceptions about Corruption and Unethical Conduct

• Corruption (43.6%) ranked first as the leading problem facing the country having emerged third in the 2016 Survey. Poverty (37%) came second followed by Unemployment (32.2%), Unfavourable economic conditions (22.2%) and political instability (21.8%);
• Over 70 percent of the respondents indicated that the level of corruption and unethical conduct is high. However, this is an improvement from 79.4 percent recorded in the 2016 Survey;
• Over 71 percent of the respondents indicated that corruption and unethical conduct are completely widespread in the country which is a substantial improvement compared to 87.4 percent in the 2016 Survey;
• The Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government (64.7%) ranked first followed by the Ministry of Health (27.8%), Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development (23.9%), Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure (13%) and Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (11.7%) as those most prone to corruption and unethical conduct;
• Accordingly, the Kenya Police was ranked first among Government Departments and Agencies perceived to be most prone to corruption followed by National Police Service Commission (13.7%), Public Hospitals (9.8%), Kenya Revenue Authority (8.2%), National Land Commission (7.3%), National Transport and Safety Authority (4.9%) and Immigration Department (4.3%);
• The Finance and Planning Department in County Governments is the one most perceived to be prone to corruption as mentioned by 17.8 percent of the respondents followed by County Health Services including ambulance, health facilities and cemeteries (15.2%) and County Transport encompassing roads, street lighting traffic and parking (12.6%); and
• Delays in service provision (40.6%), corruption activities including bribery (39.1%), putting self-interest before public interest (32.9%), criminal activities such as fraud, theft and embezzlement (31%), discrimination (30.7%) and lateness (28%) are widely noticed by service seekers in public offices.

e) Education, Training and Sensitization on Corruption and Ethics

• Over 77.9 percent of the respondents said the media was doing enough in the fight against corruption and unethical conduct in the country;
• Over 91 percent of the respondents received information on corruption and unethical conduct from radio, 60.4 from Television, 35.8 from Newspapers, 26.4 percent in their places of religious worship, and 18.9 percent from social media;
• Information from the radio (58%) is considered most reliable followed by that on Television (24.9%) and Social Media (5.7%);
• Regional/vernacular radio stations are the most listened to by 36.6 percent of the respondents with the Radio Citizen being the most listened to at 20.3% followed by Radio Jambo (9.3%) and Radio Maisha (7.5%);
• Citizen Television is the most widely watched by 40 percent of the respondents followed by KTN (20.9%) and NTV (8.8%); and
• The Daily Nation Newspaper recorded a preference rate of 47 percent followed by the Standard Newspaper (18.7%) and Taifa Leo (5.5%).

f) Recommendations

• Enhance public education and sensitization on individual role in the fight against corruption and unethical conduct;
• Strengthen collaborations and coalitions with private, trade unions and civil society groups against corruption and unethical conduct;
• Enhance corruption and unethical conduct reporting channels country wide;
• Monitor the implementation of mainstreamed anti-corruption and ethics in the education;
• Strengthen leadership, integrity and anti-corruption laws to allow for quick handling of cases and harsher punishment for persons found guilty;
• Strengthen asset recovery and restitution mandate of the Commission;
• The Commission should conduct its affairs devoid of political and executive interferences;
• Public and State Officers should be audited annually to establish their net worth;
• Companies and their directors engaged in corruption and unethical conduct should be blacklisted or deregistered;
• Introduce an award and reward system for anti-corruption champions; and
• Enhance policies and laws to govern the protection of whistle-blowers.