Kenya continues to rank among the worst-performing countries on corruption in Sub-Saharan Africa, scoring just 30 in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), Transparency International (TI) has reported.
Released on February 10, 2026, the index shows that corruption continues to weaken governance and erode public trust in Kenya, despite years of reform efforts. Transparency International’s data ranks Kenya 130th out of 180 countries globally, reflecting a two-point drop from 2024.
TI-Kenya, the local chapter of the global watchdog, reports that the country’s CPI score has hovered between 25 and 33 over the past 13 years. The organisation notes that these small fluctuations have done little to break a long-term pattern of stagnation.
Kenya’s score sits well below the global average of 42. Across Sub-Saharan Africa, only four countries—Seychelles (68), Cape Verde (62), and Botswana and Rwanda (both 58)—score above 50, a benchmark indicating stronger control over corruption. At the bottom of the regional rankings, South Sudan and Somalia score 9, followed by Eritrea at 13 and Sudan at 14.
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With a score below 50, Kenya is grouped among 45 African countries that TI says have shown minimal progress despite constitutional, legal, and institutional reforms.
The global picture is also troubling. The average CPI has fallen to 42, the lowest in over a decade, and more than two-thirds of countries worldwide—122 out of 180—score below 50. Even well-established democracies have seen declines: the United States scored 64, the United Kingdom 70, and France 66, raising concerns over accountability and public sector integrity.
The report links rising corruption to shrinking civic space. Since 2012, 36 of the 50 countries with the largest CPI drops have also restricted freedoms of expression, association, and assembly. Transparency International reports that at least 150 journalists have been killed in non-conflict settings since 2012 while exposing corruption.
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TI-Kenya echoed these concerns, warning that pressure on the media, civil society organisations, and whistleblowers undermines accountability.
In response, TI-Kenya called on the government to take urgent action. The organisation urged authorities to protect civic space and media freedom, pass a comprehensive whistleblower protection law, and strengthen transparency in public procurement through open digital systems.
It also recommended proper funding for anti-corruption agencies, tighter regulation of campaign financing ahead of the 2027 general election, and full enforcement of Chapter Six of the Constitution, which governs leadership and integrity.
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