An official report from the US government has stated that bribery and corruption in the East African country is on the cusp of severely damaging business ties between Kenya and the United States.
The US report named the National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers (NTE Report), stressed the menace of Bribery and corruption when conducting business in the East African country.
The report highlighted how major US firms lose out on Kenyan contracts due to their refusal to pay bribes or wet the beaks of relevant Kenyan authorities.
The report also stated how efforts by Kenyan authorities to tackle the menace of bribery and corruption have yielded little to no results citing the backlog of cases and relentless misconduct.
The report also touched on the challenges faced by foreigners trying to own a piece of real estate in the country. It called out Kenyan laws on the property rights of foreigners which bars them from owning properties in the country.
The ban is courtesy of the 2010 Kenyan constitution which states that foreigners are not allowed to possess freehold land rights in Kenya, only leasehold titles for up to 99 years.
The report complained about the ambiguities experienced in the process of obtaining a clear title for undeveloped land.
US investors seeking to acquire a plot of undeveloped land risk receiving fake title deeds or lands with multiple deeds and authorized sales according to the report.