The fall of Kenya on the world anti-corruption map continues. The country lost another place altogether, nine places to be exact. According to Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index, which was released on the 10th of February, Kenya is ranked 130 places out of 182. Kenya dropped from 121 to 130. It scored 30 out of 100 in 2025, having scored 32 the previous year.
According to Transparency International, the scores represent the people’s perception of the role of public sector corruption in the daily life of the country. In line with growing public frustration, the scores fell despite the fact that there have been few convictions in cases of corruption.
Sub-Saharan Africa remains the weakest region on average, with a score of 32 out of 100. Regional peers with a score above 50 are Cabo Verde, Rwanda, Botswana, and the highest-scoring, Seychelles, with 68.
This is the case in Kenya, where Sheila Masinde, the Executive Director of the chapter of Transparency International in Kenya, explains that the point being made here is not about isolated incidences but rather about a situation that reflects a system of problems that affect different levels of the government. One of the problems with the anti-corruption laws in the country, according to her, lies in their ineffectiveness in the enforcement of those rules, especially when they relate to matters of integrity in the constitution.
In terms of the global scenario, the same alarming trend has been witnessed. The overall average in terms of the global scenario, including all the regions, dropped to 42, which is the lowest in over a decade. This poses even questions about the prospects of a traditional democracy. For the eighth straight year, the position of Denmark with a score of 89 alone has remained supreme, while Somalia and South Sudan occupy the lowest position.
At home, the issue is receiving traction under the new Kenya Kwanza regime. President Ruto stated that no parliamentary committee should be an “extortion ring” as he spoke during the 2025 Devolution Conference held in Homa Bay. His remarks were aimed at lawmakers who are allegedly intimidating governors and local communities for money. Now that the new ranking from the CPI is out, there is no doubt that the government is going to take action.
