Kenya and Uganda most corrupt in East Africa says Transparency International

July 10, 2013 (KAMPALA) Kenya and Uganda respectively are the most corrupt countries in the East Africa region according to a corruption index released on Tuesday by Transparency International.

The global barometer survey lists Kenya as the 4th most corrupt country in the world while Uganda stood at number 17.

In the East African region the report found that 70% of Kenyans had paid bribes to access service. In Uganda that figure was at 61%.

Tanzania came third with 56% while South Sudan was at 39%. With only 13% saying they had paid bribes, Rwanda was found to be the least corrupt in the region by the Transparency report.

Transparency International, which is an independent civil society group to fight against corruption, says the global corruption barometer 2013 surveyed more than 114,000 respondents in 107 countries around the world speaking to a sample of 1,000 people in each country.

In East Africa and other countries in Sub Saharan Africa, the police stood out among the most corrupt public intuitions.

In Uganda, 95% said they had paid bribes to a police officer. The percentage of those who said they had paid bribes to the police was also high in Kenya and Tanzania.

(ST)