Systemic Rot Undermining Economic Progress

A pervasive system of political patronage, rooted in ethnic preferences and cronyism, is severely undermining Kenya's economic potential and hindering its development goals. This practice, where state resources are distributed as rewards for political support, manifests in manipulated procurement processes, skewed public appointments, and the widespread misuse of public funds, according to multiple reports from Kenyan and international oversight bodies. The consequence is a significant drain on the national treasury, stalled essential projects, and eroded public trust in governance.

The Staggering Financial Cost

The economic impact of patronage and associated corruption is staggering. According to a recent report from the African Development Bank (AfDB), Kenya loses an estimated $1.5 billion (approximately KES 194 billion) annually to corruption and illicit financial flows. Kenya's own Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has provided an even higher estimate, suggesting that the nation loses up to KES 608 billion, or 7.8% of its GDP, each year due to corrupt practices. These vast sums are often diverted through flawed public procurement, which has been identified as a hotbed for corruption.

Reports from the Auditor-General consistently highlight the scale of the problem. A 2025 audit for the 2023/2024 financial year, for instance, revealed widespread procurement irregularities across 32 counties totaling over KES 10 billion. Another report from the same period uncovered KES 37.92 billion in stalled projects across 24 government ministries and departments, pointing to poor planning and lax oversight as primary causes. These financial leakages severely constrain the government's ability to fund critical services in health, education, and infrastructure.

How Patronage Cripples Governance

Patronage politics extends beyond financial loss, crippling the effectiveness of public institutions. The practice of appointing individuals to key positions in the civil service and state-owned enterprises based on political loyalty rather than merit leads to mismanagement and poor service delivery. This is often intertwined with ethnicity, where the distribution of state resources and appointments systematically favours the ethnic community of the ruling elite. This dynamic has been a persistent feature of Kenyan governance since independence, fueling ethnic conflict and inequality.

The 2024 National Ethics and Corruption Survey, released in August 2025, found that favouritism, tribalism, and nepotism were among the most common forms of corruption reported by Kenyans. The devolution of government, while intended to bring services closer to the people, has also led to the devolution of corruption, with county governments becoming new hotspots for patronage and embezzlement.

The Fight for Accountability

Despite the deeply entrenched nature of the problem, various bodies are working to enforce accountability. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is mandated to combat corruption through law enforcement, prevention, and public education. The EACC focuses on high-impact investigations, asset recovery, and forging strategic partnerships to strengthen its mandate. However, the commission has faced challenges, including a lack of prosecutorial power, which is vested in the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Transparency International Kenya continues to advocate for a transparent and corruption-free society through good governance initiatives, policy reviews, and providing legal aid to citizens affected by corruption. The Office of the Auditor-General also plays a crucial role by publicly exposing financial mismanagement and irregularities in both national and county governments.

Despite these efforts, public perception of corruption remains high. According to the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index from Transparency International, Kenya scored 32 out of 100, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean. This indicates that citizens and experts perceive the public sector to be significantly corrupt. For Kenya to achieve its Vision 2030 goals of sustainable growth and reduced inequality, experts argue that a fundamental shift from a patronage-based system to one founded on meritocracy, transparency, and the rule of law is not just necessary, but urgent.