One of the most frustrating things about living in Kenya today, apart from the coronavirus, is our rampant corruption problem. While the coronavirus might leave as soon as it came, and life will eventually resume as normal, corruption is another story.
We as Kenyans have been suffering from bribery for as long as we have been an independent nation, and even long before that. Economic crimes, fraud, and shady, underhanded deals have been an unfortunate feature of life in Kenya for far too long.
Many factors have led to this, both at the civilian and governmental level. For as much as we as regular citizens have let it slide, our elected leaders have also reveled in it. They have made ungodly sums of money from corruption, and gained more power as a result of the practice. And petty representatives of the government, ones who are supposedly the most law abiding citizens, such as police officers and clerks, have also benefited more than their fair share from the practice.
Corruption is inherently part of our culture, and the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report has outlined the ways in which it is detrimental to our society. Corruption corrodes the trust we have in one another, in our democratic systems, and of investors contemplating conducting business in Kenya.
It takes money away from our national purse and funnels it towards who knows where. It is really a mystery sometimes, because money that taxpayers have worked hard to dutifully pay will end up in the treasury and then disappear without accountability.
But the mere fact that this has been the case for decades does not mean that it is inevitable, or that it will always be the case. In fact, Uhuru’s anti-corruption campaign represents perhaps the boldest attempt any administration has made to solve this problem.
Over the past year or so, we have seen the executive branch make a total about-face regarding what kind of financial crime is acceptable here. The answer: none at all. More officials are being arrested and more corruption cases are being opened for public scrutiny. This is the way things should always be in a healthy democracy: transparent and out in the open.
We have nothing to be ashamed of, so long as the government is doing all in its power to eradicate this pervasive and frustrating problem.
Recent reports of police officers using the Covid-19 crisis to extort motorists indicate that while some police officers are still corrupt, there is hope yet. A recent clip circulating on social media shows a police officer in Magarini, Kilifi County, drawing a gun on a motorist who refuses to pay a bribe.
The Coast Chief of Police says that the police officer has since been dismissed from service and is due to stand trial. The member of the public who dared to film this happening and then share it online should be commended. This brave act ultimately led not only to the officer’s dismissal, but to more public discourse about corruption and how it affects us.
Some including Dennis Wendo, founder of Integrated Development Network (IDN-Kenya), have claimed that those who refuse to pay bribes to traffic officers are taken to jail overnight. In the morning, they are forced to pay a bond. Wendo has stated that he was forced to pay a Sh 3,000 bond but was not issued a receipt. Where did the money go?
Moreover, some overnight inmates have claimed that they were not given adequate space in cells in accordance with the current physical distancing regulations.
Anyone who serves as a representative of the government and the law, including but not limited to police officers, government bureaucrats, members of parliament and members of the judiciary, should remember that their role is one of service, not of power.
Those who use their position to oppress, rather than assist, the Kenyan people, belong behind bars. Now is a very important time to remember that, and to be empowered by Uhuru’s anti-corruption campaign. Any time you see a form of corruption on the street, record it and report it. This campaign has been one of the most important of President Uhuru’s legacy, and it benefits all to keep the momentum strong – even during a global pandemic.
Michael Cherambos is a social, political and economic commentator based in Nairobi. [email protected]
