It’s often distressing to see a filthily rich government
official being mentioned in yet another mega corruption scandal. The have-nots
are usually left wondering why an individual worth millions or even billions of
shillings still finds it necessary to steal from the poor-majority public.
From what we have learned in the past decade or so, very few
contracts by government agencies are truly above board. It’s just last week when Kenyans were treated
to news that a UK court was handling a case in which a British Company is
accused of making corrupt payments to officials and employees working for
Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and The Kenya National
Examinations Council (KNEC) to obtain printing contracts. The company is
alleged to have send millions of Shillings to the accounts of officials and
employees of the two agencies.
Corruption is not only tied to the high ranking officials,
No! Even junior officers practice it. The vice is so deeply entrenched in the
society that it will require a lot of effort and sheer will to bring it down.
Existing oversight authorities are neither equipped nor funded well enough to
detect the vice in all its forms or areas where it occurs.
Is this how corruption evolves?
There is no Kenyan who joins the public service with a
corrupt mind. The vice is passed from other workers alongside other skills
required to function in the workplace. Junior government officers, police
included, are rarely paid sufficient enough to meet all their living costs.
Therefore, asking for bribes and getting involved in other illicit deals is
usually excused as an attempt to supplement the meager earnings.
However, just as repeated using of anything that offers some
reward results into addiction, the junior government officer becomes amazed at
how easy one can become rich by stealing from the public. This transforms from
a justifiable attempt to supplement earnings, to a habit, and finally an obsession.
Money earned through illicit deals is rarely put to good use and the corrupt
official must keep it streaming in. Stealing from the public never ends, even
when such officials are promoted to highly rewarding positions. Their rising
social economic status requires more money to sustain high lifestyles and much
more in the bank to secure them financially. For an individual ordained in this
practice, there is no end to stealing as long as an opportunity presents
itself.
Corruption is convenient
Bribery is very common partly because it is very convenient.
For instance, when a policeman stops a speeding driver, he or she is supposed
to arrest him and take him to the nearest police station, then to court. This
can take as long as two days and cause huge financial losses to the driver,
often in court fines and lost business. To avoid all these you just need to
give the arresting police some money, like 2000 shillings. Who will not go for
that? This happens all the time in Kenya.
However, the police have taken it to a new level, arbitrary arrests
are a common place, and they are carried out whether one has actually gone
against the law or not. For instance,
when walking in Downtown Nairobi at night you’ll likely be caught in a police swoop.
The police do this because they know even if you are innocent, you will find it
easier to bribe the police to let you go, rather than spend a night in the
dreaded police cells or go to court to prove your innocence.
It’s not only the police, bribes are offered and taken
virtually everywhere. If you want a
service to be expedited you give a bribe. If you want a driving license and you
not ready to wait for two months, you give a bribe. In some instances, even
when you are clearly guilty and have no chance of winning a case, giving a bribe
will likely turn things in your favor.
Money runs tings here!
Things are changing
There are genuine efforts by the government and other
stakeholders to address corruption in Kenya. However, there is so much that
needs to be done. There is no doubt that corruption benefits a few at the
expense of millions.
I will write about the real effects of corruption soon!
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