💸🤝Who Pays the Bribes? Kenya’s Hustlers, Not the Retired

In Kenya, bribery isn’t just a moral issue—it’s an occupational hazard. Whether you’re a student, a government clerk, or running a roadside kiosk, your chances of encountering corruption vary wildly. According to the Kenya Bribery Index 2025, your job title may just predict your exposure to extortion. And while some are largely insulated, others are paying the price—literally.

Let's explore this in a chart:

🛵Hustle Comes at a Price

Kenya’s famed “hustler nation” lives up to its name—and pays for it. 48% of self-employed citizens reported paying bribes in 2025, up from 45% in 2019. Think boda boda riders navigating traffic stops, traders seeking business permits, or mama mbogas dodging county levies. The self-employed interact frequently with public officials—and each interaction carries a price tag. The state may not offer much support to this group, but it certainly extracts its dues.

Bribery, in this case, is less about dishonesty and more about expediency. A stamp here, a license there—and a little chai in between. For Kenya’s entrepreneurs, bribes are often the cost of doing business, not a shortcut around it.

🧑‍💼 Formally Employed: Not Immune After All

You might assume a desk job in a formal office shields you from the grubby hands of corruption. Not quite. In 2025, 28% of employed individuals reported paying bribes—up from 24% in 2019. From tax filings to traffic violations, salaried workers are increasingly entangled in a system that nudges them to “speed things up” with an extra payment. The rise may reflect more interactions with digitized public services, ironically making processes more visible—but not necessarily more accountable. Even clean-cut professionals, it seems, must occasionally grease the wheels.

🎓 Students and the Unemployed

In sharp contrast, students and the unemployed saw their bribery burden fall to 18% in 2025, down from 25% in 2019. With fewer touchpoints—no business licenses to chase or taxmen to appease—their risk is relatively low. However, this isn’t necessarily cause for celebration. Many in this group are disengaged not by choice but by circumstance.

And when they do engage—say, at a public university registrar’s office or a job application process—they’re often the most vulnerable. A sharp drop in reported bribery may reflect fewer interactions, not a cleaner system.

👴 Retired and Protected

The real winners in this grim game? The retired. At just 6%, their bribery exposure hasn’t changed in years. Out of the workforce and less dependent on public services, they’re simply less visible to predatory public servants. Their immunity isn’t from good governance—it’s from withdrawal. A sobering reminder that, in Kenya, the safest way to avoid corruption may be to stop needing services altogether.

🎯 Fix the System, Not the Citizens

This isn’t a tale of dishonest citizens but of a dishonest system. The Kenya Bribery Index paints a picture where the cost of corruption is unevenly spread, heaviest on those just trying to survive. Any meaningful reform must begin not with preaching integrity but with streamlining service delivery, cutting red tape, and digitizing interactions without digitizing the rot.

Until then, Kenya’s hardworking citizens will keep hustling—and bribing—their way through the system