Corruption as a Governance Challenge in Kenya. A Case of Meru County

Abstract

Corruption remains a persistent governance challenge in Kenya despite the legal and institutional measures established to curb it. While scholars have paid considerable attention to corruption at the national level, limited empirical work has examined its forms within devolved units, particularly in Meru County. This paper examined the common forms of corruption in Meru County. The study was grounded in the principal-agent theory and adopted a mixed-methods design. From a target population of 1,099,376 adults, the study sampled 295 respondents (278 questionnaire respondents and 17 key informants) using the Slovin formula, and collected data through questionnaires and key informant interviews. Of the 278 questionnaires administered, 207 were completed and analyzed, yielding a response rate of 75.9%, along with 17 key informant interviews. The study analyzed quantitative data using SPSS (version 30) and qualitative data thematically using MAXQDA. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha (α = .76), and validity was confirmed through expert review and factor analysis. The study found nepotism and favoritism in hiring to be the most prevalent form of corruption, endorsed by 71.0% of respondents (mean = 3.81), followed by misuse of public funds (61.4%) and embezzlement of county resources (59.4%). Procurement fraud attracted the lowest agreement (43.5%) and the widest dispersion, suggesting limited public visibility rather than low incidence. Word frequency analysis corroborated this ordering, with money-related terms recording 198 mentions and recruitment-related terms 155. The study concludes that corruption in devolved units operates chiefly through the allocation of public posts and the handling of county revenue. It recommends competitive and publicly documented recruitment, tighter expenditure reporting and the publication of tender awards to expose an area currently shielded from scrutiny. The findings apply to county public service boards, county assemblies, and anti-corruption agencies.