IS KENYA A DEN OF CORRUPTION?

We all know corruption as dishonest or fraudulent conduct  by those in power typically involving bribery, but apart from those in power did you know that even those not are also involved?

In what was deemed to be a peaceful and non-corrupt country, Kenya ironically has a history if not a million page book full of a history in corruption especially politically.                                                                                                          

Mr John Githongo who named some forme ministers as beneficiaries
of the anglo leasing scandal but notrhing has been done yet up to date.

                                                   

Since independence from the late Jomo Kenyatta’s KANU government to the current Jubilee government under his son Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, corruption has been an order of the day.

Kenya has had a series of scandals to mention a few; The Goldenberg Scandal, Anglo leasing Scandal, Prison debts Scandal, Grand regency Scandal, Triton Oil Scandal, Maize Scandal and many more.

Despite market reforms, several business surveys reveal that business corruption is still widespread and that companies frequently encounter demands for bribes and informal payment ‘to get things done’ in Kenya. The reforms were also part of the current new constitution but unfortunately they have just been left like a history book in a library where people just read and leave it there, no implementation.

Fresh scandals have erupted and surprisingly its origin is those we call ‘our leaders’, the likes of The BVR kits scandal, Chicken Gate scandal and the current Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) scandal where unfortunately no one has been held responsible in any scandal.

From left: IEBC chairman Mr Issac Hassan, former IEBC CEO James Oswago
 and Energy cabinet secretary Mr David Chirchir who are said to be part of the
 chicken gate scandal.

Organs which were to help at least reduce corruption in our beloved country like Kenya Anti Corruption Commission (KACC) and the current Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) have  failed to do so. EACC has itself being involved in corruption issues and leadership wrangles hence raising questions on its integrity hence leaving citizens in a dilemma.

Kenya sits at position 145 of 175 countries with the 174^th country being most corrupt according to a research done by Transparency International last year (2014). This means that Kenya is the 30^th corrupt country in the world and the 2^nd corrupt in Eastern Africa.

Money has been the main exchange for one to get things
done in Kenya.

The public procurement suffers widespread corruption in almost every sector and an average Kenyan pays approximately 16 bribes per month. Just last week a resident complained to a certain radio station that his member of parliament’s wife who surprisingly is still in high (secondary) school applied for a bursary from the government and got more money than others who had also applied for the same. Why would an MP’s wife who is surprisingly still in secondary school apply for a bursary meant for vulnerable student?

Eradicating corruption may be hard if not impossible but we can all unite and fight this fatal ‘fatal’ disease so as to at least reduce it.

Organs like the Judiciary and Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission should remain independent without leaning on any political divide. Civil servants should be paid well, transparency and openness should be practiced in government spending and most importantly establishing smart technology for the betterment of our motherland Kenya.

A country full of corruption cannot prosper in achieving its goals!

By Mrira Stephen