Act decisively now to get rid of graft

President Uhuru Kenyatta drew the red line for public officers on Thursday, when he declared in Parliament that those mentioned in corruption scandals must step down and be subjected to court proceedings.

His stern warning during the State of the Nation address created excitement all round, raising hopes that something is finally being done to weed out the vice that has reached cancerous levels.

In a well-choreographed drama, he submitted to Parliament a list of top officials suspected of corrupt deals, as he similarly instructed the Director of Public Prosecutions to take over the matter with the courts.

Corruption has become a byword in public life and the citizens have nearly resigned to it. All government procurement deals are marred by corruption. Contenders for elective offices oil people’s hands.

Appointments to top positions depend on the bribes one can give or influence one has; not qualification or experience. Suspects pay their way out of the police cells as offenders easily bribe their way out of the courts.

Things have got out of hand in recent times, with top officials and elected leaders named routinely in graft cases as well as appropriation and pilferage of public resources, including land. The tragedy is that nothing happens.

President Kenyatta’s directive was timely. However, it belies many things. The first is the conviction to push through sanctions against corrupt officials. The list of 175 individuals he issued, which had been prepared by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), is a drop in the ocean.

LACK OF WILL POWER

There are numerous cases of mega scandals that have been in the public domain, but have just been glossed over because of lack of will power to prosecute them. Some of those involved in corrupt deals are high ranking officials who are close to the presidency, a fact President Kenyatta has admitted in the past.

More worrying is the fact that institutions established to fight corruption are themselves immersed in the vice. The EACC is embroiled in scandals as the commissioners and the officials accuse one another of abetting corruption, thereby undermining its credibility in the war against sleaze and rot in society.

Parliamentary watchdog committees are busy fighting to clear their names as accusations mount over their indiscretions.

The moment the country sacrificed the provisions of Chapter Six of the Constitution on leadership and integrity and allowed people of questionable character to ascend to public office, the moral ground for fighting the ills afflicting society was lost. Not surprisingly, noble practices like vetting appointees to public offices have been turned into a charade.

In a system where political patronage is the order of the day; where appointment to public offices is restricted to a few ethnic communities; and participation in public discourse is limited due to intolerant leadership, corruption and associated vices will thrive.

President Kenyatta has started on a good footing, but he must follow his words with action. The problem at hand is complex and cannot be resolved through public declarations. It requires carefully laid-out strategy and strong conviction to execute painful decisions.