Keywords
Good governance
Sustainable development
East Africa
Corruption
How to Cite
Abstract
Purpose: This study examines the prevalence, causes, and consequences of corruption in the East African region and investigates its empirical relationship with governance quality and economic growth across different national contexts.
Method: A mixed-methods research design was adopted, combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. The qualitative component involved a comprehensive review of academic literature, official documents, and reports from international organizations. The quantitative analysis relied on secondary data, including the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), global governance indicators, and macroeconomic data, enabling cross-country comparative analysis.
Findings: The findings show that corruption in East Africa is driven by interconnected political, social, economic, and institutional factors. Countries affected by political instability and internal conflict, such as Somalia and South Sudan, exhibit the highest levels of corruption and the weakest governance systems. Conversely, countries such as Seychelles, Mauritius, and Rwanda demonstrate that lower corruption levels are associated with stronger governance and more stable economic performance. Empirical evidence largely supports the “sand the wheels” hypothesis, indicating that corruption undermines economic growth and governance effectiveness.
Originality/Value: The study adds to the literature by highlighting that effective anti-corruption strategies in East Africa require institutional strengthening, political stability, and comprehensive governance reforms, offering insights for policymakers and development stakeholders.
References
Abdulai, D. N. (2023). Corruption and economic growth in Africa: The impact on development (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003452416
Aborisade, R. , & Aliyyu, N. B. (2018). Corruption and Africa. In: Akanle, O., Adésìnà, J. (eds) The development of Africa. Social Indicators Research Series, 71. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66242-8_13.
Aidt, T., Dutta, J., & Sena, V. (2008). Governance regimes, corruption, and growth: Theory and evidence. Journal of Comparative Economics, 36(2), 195–220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jce.2007.11.004
Awan, R. U., Akhtar, T., Rahim, S., Sher, F., & Cheema, A. R. (2018). Governance, corruption, and economic growth: A panel data analysis of selected SAARC countries. Pakistan Economic and Social Review, 56(1), 1–20. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26616730
Bailey, K. D. (1994). Typologies and taxonomies. An introduction to classification techniques. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412986397
Bajpai, R., & Myers, C. B. (2020). Enhancing government effectiveness and transparency: The fight against corruption. Washington, D. C.: World Bank Group. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/235541600116631094/
Blackburn, K., Bose, N., & Haque, M. E. (2010). Endogenous corruption in economic development. Journal of Economic Studies, 371 (1), pp. 4-25.
Bussell, J. (2015). Typologies of corruption: A pragmatic approach. In Law 2015 (pp. 21–45). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781784714703.00007
Cabaravdic, A., & Nilsson, M. (2017). The effect of corruption on economic growth: Does corruption show a significant effect on the growth of an economy? (Bachelor's thesis, Jönköping University). http://www.diva-portal.se/smash/get/diva2:1107921/.pdf
Elamin, N. (2019). A theoretical analysis of corruption in Sudan: Causes, diagnostics, consequences, and remedies. African Journal of Political Science and International Relations, 13(2), 4-16.
Frahm, O. (2018). Corruption in sub-Saharan Africa’s established and simulated democracies: The cases of Ghana, Nigeria, and South Sudan. Crime, Law and Social Change, 70(3), 257–274. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10611-017-9730-2
Franz, E. (2012). Toa kitu kidogo: Corruption in East Africa. In the Balance, 3. https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/inthebalance/3
Freille, S., Haque, M. E., & Kneller, R. (2007). A contribution to the empirics of press freedom and corruption. European Journal of Political Economy, 23(4), 838-862. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2007.03.002
Gupta, A., (2017). Changing forms of corruption in India. Modern Asian Studies. 51(6):1862-1890. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0026749X17000580
Gyimah-Brempong, K. (2006). Corruption, economic growth and income distribution in Africa: are there regional differences? Economics of Governance, 7 (3), pp. 245-269. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10101-005-0008-2
Haydaroğlu, C. (2020). Corruption, institutions and economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa. Int. J. Eco. Res. 7(1), 14 -26. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347936442
Heckelman, J., & Powell, B. (2010). Corruption and the institutional environment for growth. Comparative Economic Studies, 52(3), 378. https://doi.org/10.1057/ces.2010.14
Hope, K. R. (2017 a). Corruption and governance in Africa. New York: Palgrave Macmillan/Springer.
Hope, K. R. (2017 b). Fighting corruption in developing countries: Some aspects of policy from lessons from the field. Journal of Public Affairs, 17(e1683). https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.1683
Jama, A. B. (2021). The effect of corruption on economic growth: Empirical evidence in East Africa. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), 5(6), 717. ISSN 2454-6186. http://www.rsisinternational.org/IJRISS/.
Jonhson, N. D. & Yamarik, S. (2011). Corruption is bad for growth (even in the United States). Public Choice, 147 (4), pp. 377–393. 10.1007/s11127-010-9634-5
Khan, M. (2006). Determinants of corruption in developing countries: The limits of conventional economic analysis. International Handbook on the Economics of Corruption, 216-244.
Kaufmann, D., Kraay, A., & Mastruzzi, M. (2011). The Worldwide Governance Indicators: Methodology and analytical issues. Hague Journal on the Rule of Law, 3(2), 220–246. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1876404511200046.
Kunieda, T., Okada, K., & Shibata, A. (2014). Corruption, capital account liberalization, and economic growth: Theory and evidence. International Economics, 139, 80-108.
Lambsdorff, J. G. (2006). Causes and consequences of corruption: What do we know from a cross-section of countries? In S. Rose-Ackerman (Ed.), International handbook on the economics of corruption (Chapter 1). Edward Elgar Publishing. DOI: 10.4337/9781847203106.00007.
Lamin, C. (2019). Corruption in Sub-Saharan Africa: An impediment to economic growth. European Scientific Journal, 15(10). http://dx.doi.org/10.19044/esj.2019.v15n10p16
Malanski, L. K. & Póvoa, A. S. (2021). Economic growth and corruption in emerging markets: Does economic freedom matter? International Economics, 166(1),58–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inteco.2021.02.001
Méon, P., & Weill, L. (2008). Is corruption an efficient grease? SSRN Electronic Journal, 38(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2009.06.004
Oyamada, E. (2017). Combating corruption in Rwanda: Lessons for policymakers. Asian Education and Development Studies, 6(3), 249-262. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEDS-03-2017-0028
Pavlik, J. B. (2017). The quest for good governance: How societies develop control of corruption, by A. Mungiu-Pippidi. The Independent Review, 22(2), 303–306. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26314824.
Saha, S., & Ben Ali, M. S. (2017). Corruption and economic development: New evidence from the Middle Eastern and North African countries. Economic Analysis and Policy, 54, 83-95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eap.2017.02.001
Sauve, B., Woodley, J., Jones, N. J., & Akhtari, S. (2023). Methods of preventing corruption: A review and analysis of select approaches. Public Safety Canada. https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2023-r010/index-en.aspx.
Solability. (2023). The Sustainable Competitiveness Report (12th ed.). The global governance index. Solability. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Sandholtz, W., & Gray, M. M. (2003). International integration and national corruption. International Organization, 57(4), 761–800. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020818303574045
Šumah, Š. (2018). Corruption, causes and consequences. In IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.72953
Swaleheen, M. (2011). Economic growth with endogenous corruption: An empirical study. Public Choice, 146(1), 23-41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11127-009-9581-1
Transparency International. (2023). Corruption Perceptions Index 2023. https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2023/index/nzl.
Wasuge Ahmed, M.A.& Özkan, S. (2021). The effects of corruption on political development in Somalia. Journal of Social and Humanities Sciences Research, 8(73), 2072-2079. http://dx.doi.org/10.26450/jshsr.2630
Zhang, M., Zhang, H., Zhang, L. (2023). Corruption, anti-corruption, and economic development. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 10(434). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01930-5.
Zhang, Y., & Vargas-Hernández, J. G. (2015). Introduction. In Y. Zhang & C. Levana (Eds.), Government anti-corruption strategies (pp. xiii–xxv). CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/b18560
Zidi, A., & Dhifallah, S. M. (2013). Corruption, governance and economic growth in developing countries: Analysis by panel data. International Journal of Management & Business Studies, 3(2), 25. https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:154474682.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 Maylaf Hiruy Alemayehu