NAIROBI, KENYA — The United States has once more raised concerns about pervasive bribery requests and extortion targeting American investors by Kenyan government officials seeking to secure lucrative tenders.
This issue was highlighted by Washington last year as a significant impediment to trade with Nairobi, with U.S. firms reporting limited success in bidding for Kenyan government contracts due to deep-seated corruption.
Now, the United States Trade Representative’s office, in its 2025 National Trade Estimate (NTE), reiterates that corruption continues to be a major factor influencing the outcomes of Kenya’s public tenders.
“Tenders are often not announced in a timely and transparent manner. Foreign firms, some without proven track records, have won government contracts when partnered with well-connected Kenyan firms or individuals,” notes the office of Jamieson Greer.
Despite Kenya’s efforts to enhance transparency through procurement digitization, the U.S. asserts that systems like the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) remain ineffective.
“Concerns about IFMIS include insufficient connectivity and technical capacity in county government offices, central control shutdowns, and security gaps that render the system vulnerable to manipulation and hacking,” observes President Donald Trump’s trade advisor.
Many steps
Echoing previous reports, the NTE further points out that U.S. companies have consistently “raised concerns” regarding the protracted delays in Kenyan customs releasing shipments. The report flags what it describes as a “complex and inefficient process” involving “many steps with uncoordinated offices,” inconsistent application of classification and valuation decisions, and “unnecessary transit inspections.” Simultaneously, the U.S. has also noted the widespread presence of counterfeit and pirated goods within the Kenyan market.
“Kenya signed the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty in 1996 but has yet to ratify it,” Greer’s office states. This treaty is an international agreement on copyright law adopted by WIPO member states in 1996.
Furthermore, Washington contends that Nairobi’s customs recordation system and Import Permit application requirements remain unenforced, despite imposing additional costs and resource burdens on American companies importing products containing intellectual property into Kenya.
The U.S. Trade Representative’s report is released shortly after Kenya initiated the nationwide rollout of the end-to-end Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) System, aimed at curbing corruption in both national and county government contracting.
This IFMIS-integrated system is a key component of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)-backed reforms designed to streamline government procurement processes. The National Treasury anticipates that this system will lead to reduced costs for goods, works, and services, enhanced transparency, shorter procurement cycle times, improved accountability, and better management of procurement information.
Kenya aims to eliminate the exploitation of suppliers and contractors by corrupt individuals handling payments and disbursement approvals within government offices through this new system.
