Rule of Law Must be Written in Hearts and Minds to Check Corruption!

Presently, the problem of Kenya is not lack of laws, we have enough of them. If they were to be implemented many leaders, politicians, their families and cronies would be in jail. Wherever you look at, from Counties to the National Government corruption glares at you in the face without blinking. In Kenya we have socialized corruption such that the acceptance level of it is really high. Kenyans across the political divide have all become either active supporters and beneficiaries or unworried and cooperative victims.

In terms of world's corruption ranking by Transparency International, Kenya has slipped further down to 145^th out of 174 nations, from 136 in 2013. The Auditor General has identified  dozens of corruption cases in procurement, in all government levels, where the prices of goods and services procured have been inflated to mind boggling prices.

The violation of law through omission or commission goes on despite the establishment of a Public Procurement Oversight Authority (PPOA). PPOA is expected to ensure procurement procedures established under the Act are complied with. However the persistent corruption in the procurement process is an indication that this authority is nondescript and may not sanitize the public procurement.

To curb run away corruption in this sector the PPOA needs to ensure that company owners who win tenders can be identified. This is because public funds are being lost in briefcase companies that are allegedly set up by senior people in the government to siphon Kenya's limited resources.

Since the tabling of the "list of shame" by President Kenyatta, coverage of corruption by the media has been on the increase. Even so, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) that is supposed to make heads roll has continued to drag its feet in bringing the implicated persons to book. This has resulted into a mixture of an outcry and an appeal to public officials to “steal just a little’, painting Kenya as a country in an irredeemable crisis.

When Kenyans gave themselves the 2010 Constitution, they wanted a new order where stealing of public funds would be a thing of the past. In this social contract, Chapter six gives a clear description of how people entrusted with government offices should conduct themselves. But today there is a gap between what we wanted and what we have so far.

For full implementation of the Constitution to become a reality, Kenyans must embrace the letter and spirit of the Constitution in their minds and hearts. It is impossible to root out corruption without everyone’s participation.  You can show your zero tolerance to corruption through “small’ acts.

Corruption is destroying Kenya and its impact on our lives is evident from hospitals to our roads that have transformed into death traps. We elect people with questionable morals and complain afterwards.

Kenyans need to stop worshipping their leaders which makes them feel infallible and raise the bar of leadership. It is about time we borrow from other parts of the world like Thailand, China, Singapore and Malaysia. Where corruption is treated with the highest contempt and sternest actions including capital punishment.

Posted by Mzalendo Editor on Nov. 13, 2015

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