Corruption Special Report
The latest corruption figures released by Transparency International portray a country deep in the throes of desperation and hopelessness. According to the report there is a spike in the number of Kenyans bribing to get the scarce jobs that are available in the country occasionally.
Where does a desperate hopeless person get cash to pay somebody so secure a job for them?
Sadly there is another kind of bribery, which has to also be sharply on the rise when it comes to seeking jobs. And this is women extending sexual favors to land jobs. And men doing the same where homosexuals are in positions of power to employ. This is an extremely sensitive subject because the numbers are staggering and there are in fact many reading this from an office doing a job they secured by handing out sexual favors. Quite often, it is something they do not want to be reminded of.
But it gets worse. The TI report also showed that many Kenyans are bribing to get access to school fees funds meant for the poor, mainly administered through their local area member of parliament. Here the assumption is that the legislator's staffs are the ones who ask for the bribe. This means that more often than not the money ends up in the wrong hands while deserving cases who were unable to bribe are left in the cold.
The Kenya Police remains the most corrupt institution in the country. One wonders what the rider used during the delivery of the report about "big improvement" was all about. Is it something to do with the upcoming elections? Did somebody want to ensure that the public are duped that this government has achieved some measure of success in curbing corruption in the police force? If this was the idea then they should know that this one will be a very hard sell to the ordinary Kenyans who are extremely familiar with the corrupt operations of our law enforcement officers.
As you read this there are many areas of Kenya where prostitutes are only allowed to operate after extending "free services" to the policemen on patrol. Not to mention the fact that the demand for bribes amongst traffic policemen gets so serious frequently that Matatu drivers and touts frequently go on strike to protest the vice. There is currently a strike of Ngong matatus that started yesterday, protesting harassment for bribes by traffic policemen in the area.
There are millions of potential customers looking for your Kenyan products and services in search engines but they can't find you.
Kumekucha,
ReplyDeleteWhat is lacking in the past, current and the future (2008) govt is "political will" - to fight graft. We lack people who can be "leaders" - people who can assert themselves and do what is right for the country without looking over their shoulders.
So long as we continue electing (or is it selecting - they select themselves then we elect!) corrupt leaders, the statistics are not about to change significantly, soon.
Imagine Kibaki prosecuting Kiraitu or Mwiraria, or Raila prosecuting Ruto or Ntimama or Kosgei. In Kenyan thinking, this will be commiting political suicide, but it will be a giant step in the direction of the Kenya we want.
JEFF