The World Bank’s Kenya Economic Update, released on 4 November 2026, identifies boda‑boda riders and informal market traders – often called mama mbogas – as the groups most exposed to police and county‑level harassment and bribery.

Informal workers make up 83.8 % of Kenya’s labour force, with boda‑boda riders estimated between 1.6 million and 2 million nationwide.

The report estimates riders earn roughly KSh1,100 per day on average, but spend between 5 % and 20 % of those earnings on bribes – about KSh50 to KSh100 each day – plus occasional larger payments.

Mama mbogas earn between KSh300 and KSh1,500 daily after costs, yet also face regular extortion from county askaris and police, with some traders reporting weekly payment demands that exceed official fees.

A survey in Kisumu County of 296 informal workers found that 46.8 % of boda‑boda respondents experienced police harassment, mainly threats of arrest or fines, and 78.7 % of those paid bribes to avoid further action.

The World Bank links the prevalence of bribery to enforcement powers granted under the Nairobi City Inspectorate Act (2017), which allow officers to arrest without a warrant for licence violations, trading in restricted areas or obstructing streets.

County officials defend these inspections on safety grounds, but the report notes that threats of arrest, vehicle impoundment and fines are routinely used to extract payments from informal workers.

Transparency International’s 2025 bribery index shows 48 % of self‑employed Kenyans paid a bribe, with poorer households more likely to do so than wealthier ones, underscoring the disproportionate impact on informal earners.