Four tested, proven strategies of dodging corruption dragnet

There is an adage in Kenya that corruption fights back viciously. That the weight put into the fight against corruption is often less than the pressure that corruption uses to fight back, eventually carrying the day.

Over the years, I have learned vital lessons on how to counter any corruption allegations that could be leveled against me now or in future, real or imaginary.

I have learnt the lessons have after watching carefully the responses of those who have hit the headlines over corruption allegations.

I have learned that in Kenya, countering any corruption accusations is easy and somewhat prestigious. It may even make you famous. There are a thousand ways to do it but I will prescribe four that could easily make you come out smelling like roses.

The first strategy is what I call pairing. For every allegation of corruption against you, there will be a similar old one somewhere that was never investigated. Fish it out and use it in your favour.

If you are a school head being investigated for receiving a bribe to admit a Form One student, look for a similar case reported in 2014 that was never investigated.

You will come across many. Use it to demonstrate malice and selective investigation.

Turning tables

The second strategy, but closely related to the first one is what I call turning the tables. If you are being investigated by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) over fraud, call a news conference and remind them that their own Integrity Centre headquarters sits on a controversially acquired land.

What a sweet way to take the war back to the doors of your accusers. The focus might instantly changes from you to them.

The third is a fairly old strategy that has worked well in the past, nonetheless. It’s what I call ethnic spinning. It may work to sway the public opinion.

If your accuser shares the same ethnic background with the investigator and the prosecutor in a corruption case against you, make the public believe the tribal connection is not a mere coincidence. Use that ethnic line to actually show that you are also a target on the basis of your tribal affiliations.

Keep the public eye on the ethnic angle and your fight on the corruption charge will be halfway won in the court of public opinion.

The fourth strategy is what I call the clean guy effect. This is also to confuse the public by design, not necessarily to win their hearts.

Present yourself as an anti-corruption crusader who is only being targeted because you are clean. Make us all believe you are the warrior in the fight against graft and that is the single reason why corruption accusations are being leveled against you.

Track record

Paint your accusers as the most corrupt. Demonstrate that they are fighting you because of your track record and because you have been exposing them. Let the public believe that they simply want you out of the way to the eating table.

That way, two wrongs will appear to make a right and the public will be left going round in circles and eventually get exhausted. We will be wondering who to believe and you will get the benefit of doubt.

But we should never allow the corrupt to walk away with murder, for graft is akin to murder. Now, this is how you can help boost the war against the vice.

First, reported suspected corruption to the authorities. This is what President Uhuru Kenyatta calls reporting at Karura Forest (the location of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters). Report, don't just seat and whine about corruption.

Second, call corruption by its name. Senator Amos Wako has been barred from accessing the US territory over corruption allegations. He has challenged  the US government to publicly disclose the name of the corruption activity he engaged in. The ball is on their court, to call the alleged corruption by the name or lose credibility themselves.

The third way is to take on all corruption suspects regardless of the titles and ranks of the persons involved.

The fourth is to make the war on corruption public. Graft suspects come out fighting publicly because they are out in the open. Publicity is said to be the heartbeat of justice.

Depending on which one we allow to carry the day, we can either win the war or slay the dragon of corruption permanently or we can allow it to entrench its roots and rule us for eternity.

Mr Wahome is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya