Kenya Drops to 130th in Global Corruption Index 2025
Kenya has been placed at 130 out of 182 countries in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released by Transparency International on February 10, 2026.
The country scored 30 out of 100, a drop from 32 in the previous year, signaling a worsening perception of public sector corruption. This positions Kenya among nations where graft remains a major issue with little to no meaningful improvement.
The global average score fell to a record low of 42, with over two-thirds of countries scoring below 50. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the regional average stands at 32, making it the lowest-performing area worldwide. Kenya matches this regional figure but lags behind neighbors like Rwanda (which has shown progress) and others with better rankings. Transparency International points to factors such as abuse of power, weakened democratic oversight, and pressure on independent civil society as key contributors to the poor performance.
The report stresses that corruption continues to erode trust and governance, despite growing public protests and civic demands for reform in various countries, including Kenya. Transparency International's chair, François Valérian, urged governments to demonstrate integrity, protect civic space, and close loopholes that enable secrecy. The organization calls for stronger political commitment to anti-corruption measures to reverse the troubling global and regional trends.
