Curbing corruption at source the key

Every year, Transparency International lists countries of the world according to how corrupt their systems are, and African countries are usually at the top.

This is not surprising considering that corruption has not only become endemic in many African states, it has become a way of life.

This has not only deterred foreign investment which the continent badly needs, it has also confirmed to the West that Africa is only good for receiving handouts, most of which, they sagely conclude, only end up in the pockets of a few kleptocrats.

Unfortunately, Kenya has faired rather badly in the past decade, having become an ever-present member of the annual corruption index. It has also been in the list of those countries least willing to fight graft.

However, few people have actually bothered to look at the issue in the sense that it takes two to tango.

Many multinationals wishing to exploit the resources of Third World countries are often guilty of corrupting the ruling elite of many such countries, especially in the area of procurement for goods and services.

Now, this year’s list of the most corrupting countries in the world is out, and it makes for interesting, and very sad, reading.

Interesting because some of those countries whose leaders stand on a pedestal to condemn Third World nations over corruption are the very same ones that host sleazy corporates, whose excesses and crooked ways they rarely check.

The United Kingdom is one such country. So are France, Germany and Japan. And, in what should serve as a stark warning to many African countries, China happens to be number two on the list, just below Russia.

This is sad because bribe-giving and taking seem to be a worldwide phenomenon, and unless individual countries prosecute the corrupt, doing business will remain distorted on a global scale, and no amount of finger-wagging will ever make any difference.

Belonging in the list of Transparency International’s Corruption Index is not a badge of honour. Belonging in the list of the Bribe Payers Index is even worse because it smacks of high-level hypocrisy.