- The survey found that desire for quick services precipitated corruption at 5.4 per cent, poverty (4.9 per cent) and culture (3.4 per cent).
- Survey named poor living standards (2.9 per cent), misappropriation of resources (2.3 per cent) and not knowing where to report (2.1 per cent) as other drivers.
Image: FILE
Greed and selfishness are the main causes of corruption in public service, a survey by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission suggests.
The National Ethics and Corruption Survey, 2023, said 42.8 per cent of respondents named the two traits as drivers of corruption in public service.
The survey found that desire for quick services precipitated corruption at 5.4 per cent, poverty (4.9 per cent) and culture (3.4 per cent).
Other drivers were found to be poor living standards (2.9 per cent), misappropriation of resources (2.3 per cent) and not knowing where to report (2.1 per cent).
Respondents were also asked to state the main effect of corruption in the country.
They cited hampered economic growth as the biggest effects of corruption at 24.4 per cent, poor living standards (17.8 per cent) and increased in cost of living at 15.1 per cent.
They also named high unemployment levels, unfair distribution of resources, injustices in the country, negligence by public officers and loss of confidence in the government among others.
Data collection was conducted from October 13, to November 4, 2023.
A total of 5,100 individuals drawn from 510 clusters distributed across all the 47 counties were interviewed.
Data collection was preceded by questionnaire design and two days of training held between October 11-12, 2023.
During the training, participants were briefed about EACC's mandate, the purpose and objectives of the survey, data collection methods and the implications of the analysis.
As part of practical training, research assistants carried out a pre-test of the questionnaire.
Feedback from the pre-test helped in revision and refinement of the questionnaire.
Speaking during the release of the survey, EACC chair David Oginde encouraged Kenyans and other stakeholders to work proactively with the Commission towards eliminating corruption and promoting ethical practices in the country.
“Together, we can forge a path towards a more transparent and accountable society,” he said.
He noted that EACC conducts the National Ethics and Corruption Survey annually to provide corruption indicators, offering insights into its trends, patterns, root causes and changing nature of corruption.
Oginde said the fight against corruption must be prioritised to expedite development and advance progress towards Vision 2030 and the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.