Evaluating the Impact of Corruption Indicators on Governance Discourses in Kenya

Abstract

The paper examines the production and use of the corruption indicators by Transparency International-Kenya (TI-Kenya) and the Government in the context of the fight against corruption and institutional reform in Kenya over the last decade. It is based on a review of literature on the subject, public deliberations of the indicators in advocacy, policy and legal discourses, interviews with key informants, and analysis of the coverage of the indicators in the media. The paper makes two arguments. First, although TI-Kenya’s approach to measuring corruption is useful, it is not only incomplete since it is largely concerned with bribery but has also had little impact on governmental decision-making on corruption. Although the Bribery Index rankings name and shame “corrupt” institutions, they neither explain the causes of corruption nor give such institutions incentives to do better, apart from removal from the Index. Second, the Government’s approach to measuring corruption promises to reduce public sector corruption since it is an essential component of performance contracting, which requires public institutions, and gives them much needed incentives, to undertake institutional reforms. Nevertheless, the TI-Kenya bribery index remains a useful tool for monitoring the effectiveness of governmental efforts to eradicate public sector corruption.