A new report from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has revealed alarming levels of sextortion targeting women across Kenya’s public and private sectors.
According to the Kenya National Gender and Corruption Survey 2025, women are significantly more vulnerable to being asked for sexual favours in exchange for services.
The findings show that 73% of women reported being asked for sexual favours more than three times within a 12-month period, while 76% encountered such demands on three occasions, 84% twice, and 82% at least once.
The report highlights that women are more than twice as likely as men to face such coercion, underlining a deeply rooted gender imbalance in access to services.
Healthcare Sector Leads in Reported Cases
Service seekers reported the highest interaction with healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, and midwives, accounting for 44.5% of cases.
Other sectors where sextortion was prevalent include teaching and education (31.2%), police services (15.2%), and public utilities (14.3%).
The survey further revealed that employment, medical services, education, and insurance sectors are key hotspots where sextortion thrives, exposing vulnerable individuals, especially women, to exploitation.
The report also sheds light on sextortion in private institutions, where 5.2% of respondents aged between 18 and 44 said they were implicitly told that services would be denied unless they provided sexual favours.
Of those demanding such favours, 80% were men, while 20% were women, indicating that while the vice is male-dominated, it cuts across genders.
Men Also Affected, But at Lower Rates
While women bear the greatest burden, the report notes that men are not immune.
About 18% of male respondents reported being asked for sexual favours once within the past year, while 27% said they had encountered such demands at least three times.
This highlights that sextortion is a widespread issue affecting both genders, though disproportionately impacting women.
Bribery Trends Across Key Institutions
Beyond sextortion, bribery remains deeply entrenched in service delivery.
The survey found that 35.5% of respondents admitted to paying bribes to police officers, followed by civil registration officials (30%), NTSA officers (25.4%), land registry officers (23.3%), and registration of persons officers (21.2%).
Women were more likely to give bribes frequently to tax and immigration officers, while men led in bribery involving transport authorities, police, and education officials.
The judiciary emerged as the most expensive sector for bribery, with court magistrates receiving the highest average bribe of KSh 164,367.
In contrast, civil registration services recorded the lowest average bribe at KSh 1,415.
On average, men paid slightly higher bribes (KSh 6,748) compared to women (KSh 6,702), reflecting a marginal gender difference in financial impact.
The survey identified Kakamega County, West Pokot County, Isiolo County, and Vihiga County as leading in reported bribery cases.
On the other hand, Nyamira County, Kilifi County, and Baringo County recorded the lowest incidence rates.
Calls for Gender-Responsive Anti-Corruption Measures
The report recommends urgent interventions, including training public service supervisors to establish clear disciplinary procedures and respond swiftly to sextortion cases.
It also calls for linking victims to essential support systems such as psychological counselling and legal aid, with a focus on protecting young women seeking employment and healthcare services.
Additionally, the survey emphasizes the need for gender-responsive anti-corruption strategies across national and county governments, ensuring that women’s unique vulnerabilities are addressed in policy, audits, and governance structures
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