War on corruption is going nowhere

Shall we ever overcome the twin evils of corruption and tribalism in Kenya? Are we getting hopeless on these? Are we a generation that will continue to live under the pangs and effects of sustained corruption? Well the allegations and counter allegations on corruption that became the aftermath of National Youth Service (NYS) famed scandal has been more like a script from Hollywood. More allegations of corruption have continued to fill our air creating suspicion that we are a nation besot by the disease. But may I tell you what I think about fighting corruption in Kenya. It still remains a script fit for movie stars to explore in future. The late Chinua Achebe the famous writer from Nigeria in a novel tried to dissect the problems of the Nigerian society in a novel – the trouble with Nigeria. It makes an important read as it closely mirrors the trouble with Kenya and many African states. To start with, corruption has been perfected and has becoming almost an enduring culture in our country. To make it worse, fighting it is fraught with many risks, political, economic and even life threatening. In poor nations like Kenya corruption is politically, economically and socially powerful. Its tentacles go deep.

If there is a job that is almost destined for failure from the point of appointment in Kenya, it is that of being an anti-corruption Czar. Being Chairman of Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) looks like a job from hell. There are all indications that the systems, the culture and conduct around this very important position pre-destines the holder and the team for failure. From the period of the start of Kenya Anti-Corruption commission which begun with Hon John Harun Mwau   in 1997 there has been no signs to show that the holder would easily perform. Several or some of the heads who have graced the position seem to have had good intentions but knowing Kenya too well, it is almost predictable the far you can get and period of stay. The life span of holding the position is predictably short. Even in the long run it could be career damaging or personality denting.

I have observed the cynicism greeting the current so said drive against corruption with a lot of interest. In several forums I have heard sneers that the drive is headed nowhere. There is already a lot of mistrust to the agency (EACC) tasked in taming the evil.  Sometimes when I meet various professionals discussing the issues around corruption I ask why the low morale and lack of confidence with such institutions tasked with the role of eradicating the vice. They are all quick to point at history. They see nothing to inspire possibilities of taming the vice particularly when it touches the rich or the politically powerful. Many point or allude to the fact that corruption is part of the political blood stream of Kenya. The feeling is, with money you pull political strings at various levels of power. Indeed, many say the ‘small fish’ are the ones who are fried; after all they can’t afford top dollar legal fees nor possibly afford to bribe the justice system or kill evidence.

Going through political pronouncements, actions taken so far throughout history and the nature of Kenya’s politics (largely tribal) it would easily make one give up. If you dare touch somebody from whatever region, it is taken to be a tribal affront. Yet still there are numerous claims of selective investigations and prosecutions. Kenya is an interesting nation. People want action but they don’t want action that would touch one of their own no matter how rotten they (their own) could possibly be. A survey of young people published recently has shown that many would not shy away from corruption so long as they are not caught. There are enough precedents to engineer that kind of culture. The allure of riches from proceeds of corruption is too glittering not to be attractive to these young minds. It is also an indicator that people are quite observant and the value of hard work is diminishing in allure. How unfortunate if rewards get not to the hardworking or the honest but to those who can get to positions that can enable one to make illicit gains. That is why the Kenyan police due to the enforcement of laws and the ability to abuse the positions has been associated with corrupt practices all through.

Should we give up? Never, never, never. Bad cultures don’t last. At some point due to the poisonous nature of such habits like corruption and tribalism, a better culture will emerge to disrupt and consign the bad tendencies to the dustbin of history. It will happen whether we like it or not and it must happen. The current situation is akin to slavery!