It's time for the valiant to rise and fight corruption
Former Anglican Archbishop Eliud Wabukala (left) is sworn in as Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission chairman at the Supreme Court in Nairobi on January 23, 2017. With him is Ann Amadi, the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary. PHOTO | DENNIS ONSONGO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
This week, Eliud Wabukala was sworn in as the Chair of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.
Few pundits lauded his suitability and even less envy his task.
As if to confirm the enormity of the challenge facing him, Transparency International just announced that Kenya had dropped six places to 145 out of 167 countries in the Corruption Perception Index.
John Githongo claims this is the most corrupt administration since independence, and he would know.
One of the greatest joys and rewards of human rights work is to discover kindred spirits and activists in the most unusual of places. One of these giants was Assistant Commissioner of Prisons Rashid Mohamed who was laid to rest in the Eldoret Muslim Cemetery on Tuesday a few hours after his brave, big heart bid farewell to this beautiful earth. I first encountered Rashid at the Kitale Remand Prison 15 years ago, soon after his appointment as officer in charge of the prison.
He was vivacious, energetic and passionate about his work, justice and recovering grabbed prison land. He had a problem that he wanted to share with me. He had a mere 15 acres of land to occupy and sustain his prison population of 300 but it had all been fenced into prime plots by local politicians. He wondered how it could possibly be recovered. We soon dismissed the options of persuasion, court or even a ministerial begging mission. It required something a little more decisive and immediate.
Rashid devised a secret plan and I became a willing collaborator. At 4am, two tractors arrived at the prison gates, fuelled and fitted with ploughs. Rashid woke up all the prisoners and ordered them to remove the illegal fencing and leave it in a secure place for its owners. The ten acres were all ploughed before the grabbers woke up. Rather basic fencing was mounted and soon after maize seed was planted by the inmates. There was not a murmur from the aggrieved political class.
SWORN IN
This week, Eliud Wabukala was sworn in as the chairman of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC). Few pundits lauded his suitability and even less envy his task. As if to confirm the enormity of the challenge facing him, Transparency International just announced that Kenya had dropped six places to 145 out of 167 countries in the Corruption Perception Index. John Githongo claims this is the most corrupt administration since independence, and he would know.
The new EACC chair could learn a few lessons from Rashid Mohamed about how to address corruption. He might also investigate why internal auditor Bernard Muchere was transferred to anonymity in the wake of the Sh5 billion scandal at Afya House. Whistle-blowers and activists – especially those in government – need protection and encouragement. Perhaps that might be the unique contribution that Wabukala could make; to call forth public servants to expose and fight corruption within their own departments and to give them protection even when the methods like those of Rashid are a little unorthodox.
Rashid was promoted to stewardship of the larger Kitale Farm Prison, whose hundreds of acres had been grabbed by well-heeled individuals. However, when the next generation of ‘private developers’ attempted to steal the last 300 acres, he warned them not to plough or build or he would resist. They heeded his warning and the Assistant Commissioner proceeded to build a hall, renovate dilapidated buildings and to provide all inmates with uniform including sweaters.
There are hundreds of Rashids in public office who would respond enthusiastically to integrity in leadership. Over to you, Archbishop Wabukala.
@GabrielDolan1
