Kenya leads corruption perception index

By Alex Ndegwa

Kenya is ranked among nations seen as most corrupt in a new global report.

The country is placed 146th out of 180 countries surveyed, according to Transparency International’s 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). The report is a measure of domestic and public sector corruption.

Kenya recorded a CPI score of 2.2 indicating high perception of bribery.

Countries are measured on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 10 (seen to have low levels of corruption).

The country ties with crisis-laden Zimbabwe and performs poorer than her East African neighbours. Tanzania is ranked 126 with a CPI score of 2.6 while Uganda is at position 130 scoring 2.5.

The CPI measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption in a given country and is a composite index, drawing on 13 different expert and business surveys. A total of seven reports were used to assess Kenya’s performance.

Corrosive cycle

The 2009 edition scores 180 countries, the same number as last year’s CPI.

In the report released on Wednesday, the vast majority of countries in the 2009 index scored below five. New Zealand, Denmark, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland are perceived to have low levels of corruption with a CPI index of more than 9.0.

At position 39, Botswana is believed to be the least corrupt in Africa with a score of 5.6.

According to the survey, as countries climb out of the financial crisis on the back of massive stimuli packages, there is need to guard against funnelling of funds for personal gain.

"At a time when massive stimulus packages, fast-track disbursements of public funds and attempts to secure peace are being implemented around the world, it is essential to identify where corruption blocks good governance and accountability in order to break its corrosive cycle," said Huguette Labelle, Chair of Transparency International (TI).

 

 

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