Why corruption studies should be introduced in learning institutions

Corruption seems to be the cancer gently taking Kenya to its graveyard. The media of late have been replete with stories of corruption in the government.

In his national address to teachers strike, the president lamented of high wage bill which he claimed to be higher than the average wage bill for a middle income country.

One of the reasons for the rise in wage bill is corruption in the public sector where officers reap where they have not sown. The other day the government was talking of ghost workers who are in the government payroll which is a manifestation of corruption among public officers.

We can’t solely blame the jubilee government of the rot. Corruption is flowing deep in the veins of Kenyans both the old and young alike. Jubilee inherited it from the past regimes and there is likelihood that like its predecessors it’s going to pass it to the subsequent government.

Neither should we blame the Ethics and Anti-corruption commission for failing to arraign the perpetrators in court. Remember those in judiciary are also Kenyans. Don’t forget corruption is flowing in the blood of all Kenyans.

These quick fixes will not end corruption. The government should get off its horse and declare corruption a national catastrophe and just like they did with AIDS, they should introduce a subject addressing corruption in the education curriculum from primary to the tertiary levels of education.

When AIDS prevalence was high in Kenya, sexual education was introduced and this has tremendous positive impact as the rate of infection and deaths arising from AIDS and related infections have significantly reduced among the youth.

Creating corruption awareness to children will help them establish the root causes, consequences and possible ways to mitigate or totally eliminate it.

Otherwise the government efforts in place will only curb it at higher cadres but children who are future leaders will still be corrupt.