Uhuru's misstep in graft purge

Suddenly, the war on corruption has taken a new turn. It is as if we are now waking up to the realisation that if we do not act with renewed vigour and sense of urgency to stem the vice, we will soon have no country to talk about.

The corrupt in Kenya are so rabidly avaricious and voracious that if they are not stopped, they can sell this country to the highest bidder without batting an eyelid. President Uhuru Kenyatta seems to be in a combative mood and has vowed to tighten the noose on those with the penchant for sleazy and shady deals.

While he has deservedly received a good share of accolades for this seemingly bold move, questions have been asked on whether the country, or rather the Jubilee administration, is genuinely fighting corruption. This is particularly because the President started on the wrong foot in this endeavour.

The list by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) found its way into the President's hands and he proceeded to commit an illegality by acting on the report. Few would doubt that fighting corruption is a noble cause but cutting corners would cast aspersions on the entire process. This is partly the reason the anti-graft honchos have been pushed into a tight spot and are now desperately fighting to retain their jobs.

If we want to win the war against corruption, we must firmly stick to the straight and narrow path of the law. Anything less will render the whole mission an exercise in futility. There was also the issue of police recruitment which was halted by the courts because of widespread claims of underhand dealings.

The President, perhaps in the heat of the moment following the terrorist attack on Garissa University College, gave the wheels of justice a wide berth and directed the youth recruited through the questionable process to report to college forthwith.

The good news is that Mr Kenyatta saw early enough the folly of his pronouncement and beat a hasty retreat. He then directed that the whole exercise be done afresh. It would have been ironical and illogical for people who will be in charge of law and order to be recruited in a process soiled by corruption.

Unless the Jubilee administration conducts its affairs within the confines of the rule of law, nothing will come out of this newfound zeal to tame graft. Sending mixed signals on court decisions will only serve to further the cause of the merchants of impunity.

Or is the whole hullabaloo about the fight against corruption meant to pave the way for President Barack Obama who has finally decided to honour us with a visit? This cannot be farfetched. You see the President of the United States does not dignify countries immersed in corruption with a visit.

If this is the reason we are running helter-skelter shouting corruption in every corner, then we are yet to embark on a serious war against this pervasive cancer that has laid siege to the fabric of our society. It would be sad that once Obama flies back home, the war on corruption grinds to a halt.

When you fight graft just to pander to the whims of external forces, your efforts are bound to come cropper. The battle against corruption must be motivated by the fact it has led to misuse of humongous public resources compromising the quality of public services and severely undermining development goals.

It must be underpinned by the objective of ensuring equitable distribution of resources and that procurement of contracts for public projects adhere to the laid down rules.

Were it not for corruption, this country would have made great strides. Corruption is inextricably intertwined with ethnicity, patronage and nepotism which have conspired to form a potent mix sufficient to paralyse a nation. Corruption and ethnicity are like Siamese twins joined at the hip. Ethnicity breeds patronage which is a key pillar of corruption.