According to Proverbs, By justice a king gives a country stability, but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down. Transparency International Kenya has recently released its Kenya Bribery Index 2007, a detailed report on the extent of bribery in the country. If the report is accurate, it is quite easy to see how the culture of bribery distorts the economy enough to keep the majority of Kenyans extremely poor.
Kenyans encounter bribery in 54% of their interactions with institutions, and the average person pays 2.5 bribes per year. The most common reason for a bribe was law enforcement, and the organisation most prone to bribery was the Kenya Police Force. Second on the list was the Transport Licensing Board, which helps to explain why a high percentage of drivers seem to have obtained licenses without passing a driving test.
More than 75% of the clients of the following organisations encountered bribery: Immigration Department, CDF Office (Constituency Development Fund), Transport Licensing Board, and Parliament. The largest bribes were typically bribes that employees had to pay to be given jobs. The people hardest hit by corruption are those who are least able to afford the bribes.