Wabukala has the best of will. Does his team feel the same?

Some social scientists define culture as the basis upon which a community, a society or a group of people interpret their experience of the world and order their relationships into a coherent way of life. Such a grouping could be a national community such as the Kenyan society.

There are certain behaviour patterns that identify us as a Kenyan people and, as younger people grow within the institutions of our society, they learn from the older ones how things are done.

They tell us that the most basic characteristic of any culture is the fact that it is learnt and not inborn. Sociologists will call it socialisation while anthropologists refer to it as enculturation.

This is the process through which an individual, whether as an adult or a child, becomes competent in a particular culture. This comes alive when that individual first interacts with those in that community. Then he/she observes how they do things and then spontaneously begins to imitate.

It is after a critical mass within a community have interacted with others, observed how things are done and gone on to imitate, that we say that a culture has evolved. Building a culture happens over time. It is important to note that once it has entrenched itself, any effort to dismantle it is a real uphill task.

CULTURE OF CORRUPTION

I am thinking about my elder colleague clergyman who has just taken up what I consider an arduous task. He will now be at the helm of the commission entrusted with the work of dismantling the culture of corruption.

While congratulations are in order for Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, it also realistic to accept the fact that if the history of that commission is anything to go by, then all will not be smooth sailing.

The one time one would have hoped that positive results would come out of the work of that body was right after Kanu was thrown out of power.

A judge of the high court was appointed to head it and, after five years, there was not much to show. We all know how the people who have come after that have left that office. Dear Archbishop, this is not to scare you but just to remind you about the history of the EACC.

Corruption is vicious and it fights back. In any case, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission will not dismantle this culture on its own. There are other institutions such as the judiciary, the public prosecutor, the police and others who will have a role. The good Archbishop has the best of will. Do the others feel the same way?

Wamugunda is Dean of Students at the University of Nairobi [email protected]