Why Nakuru online community endorse EACC survey on corruption at the county offices

The 2024 report on bribery appears not to have come as a shock to majority of Nakuru online community owing to their reactions which indicate that paying to access services has long been part of everyday interactions with county offices.

The reactions follow a Mtaa Wangu article reporting on an anti-corruption survey, which found that residents seeking services at Nakuru county offices are more likely to face bribe demands, with 65.5 per cent of service seekers saying they paid a bribe to obtain services.

Kenyans online who reacted to the post say the findings mirror their daily experiences corruption arguing that it is no longer hidden but openly practiced.

Georgie Gee similarly describes the county as a crime scene, noting that residents have grown accustomed to corruption as part of normal service delivery.

Others focused on the financial burden placed on citizens, with Alpss Meja saying bribes should be refundable whenever services are not delivered, while Daisy Explains notes that in some cases, Kenyans are even pressured into offering bribes when the service sought does not require any payment at all.

Some reactions single out specific departments and service points. George Kahura says, “Nakuru you cannot get any government services without scrubbing someone’s hand, kwanza in getting good conduct and passport.”

Mwangi Francis echoes the sentiment, stating, “Kwanza kwa DCI na Central is a crime scene by itself. Very useless fellows.” Jp Mogun echoes his remarks, saying, “Central is worse.”

There are also complaints about favoritism and queue-jumping at several service centers, as Jeff Maxwell Martinez alleges, “Kwanza hao NYS wako hapo kwa mlango ya Huduma Centre ni mikora kabisa. Mtu anatoka kwa line huko last anaingia kuhudumiwa wa kwanza just because NYS boy amefinyiwa kitu kwa mkono.”

Boniface Kimayo adds briefly, “Especially on construction site.”

Other residents express resignation rather than surprise with Hon Ozianyi Mwisikuruwa Ozianyi noting, “It is a way of life.”

Martha Gitee reacts with weary humor, stating, “Waaa, mambo ya Nakuru offices, haiya, nitaiongea uzeeni.”

While the EACC report quantifies corruption, many residents see it as a confirmation of what they already endure daily, and for them, bribery is not an exception but a parallel system that determines who gets served, when, and at what cost.