A new report by the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) has ranked counties in the northern region of Kenya as most corrupt.
The report, which has been tabled before the Senate, ranks the counties on the basis of kickbacks residents have to part with to enjoy government services.
In the report covering the periods between 2015 and 2017, Mandera, Marsabit, Turkana and Wajir counties, all in the hardship-prone areas, are among the 10 most notorious counties in graft.
In Mandera County, which tops the lists nationally, it would cost you Sh35,440 to access services compared to Sh6,972 and Sh80,000 in 2016 and 2017 respectively.
Kisumu County, formerly led by Jackson Ranguma comes second. Residents would be forced to part with with more than Sh25,000 to access government services. The current Governor is Anyang Nyong’o.
The third place is Busia County, where the county government is accused of demanding an average of Sh18,000 kickbacks.
Nyamira County led by John Nyagarama took the fourth spot with an average of Sh10,597 bribes being demanded from locals for crucial services.
In the fifth position is Murang’a County under the leadership of Governor Mwangi Wa Iria where an average of Sh9,000 was the key to services.
Mike Sonko-led capital Nairobi was ranked sixth. The report indicates that the average amount a Nairobi resident had to part with was Sh8,916. The former Governor was Evans Kidero.
Read:EACC Detectives Arrest Ex-MP Danson Mungatana Over Sh51.5 Million Graft
For Marsabit and Turkana Counties which were ranked seventh and eight respectively, the figure was Sh7,859 and Sh6,791 to access crucial government services.
Turkana is one of the worst hit counties in the ongoing drought situation in the country. The county is led by Governor Joseph Nanok.
The EACC reports ranks Uasin-Gishu County led by Jackson Mandagor at position nine with the residents paying up to Ksh 6,744 for them to receive county services.
Wajir County closed the top 10 list, where residents were forced to part with an average of Sh6,235 to be served at the county offices.
EACC has placed the South Rift counties of Kericho and Bomet to be less costly in demanding kickbacks to access services.
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