Corruption greatest challenge facing Kenyans: Catholic bishops
Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops Chairman Philip Anyolo (centre) with Vice Chairman John Oballa (right) and Cardinal John Njue during a press conference on the State of the Nation in Ruaraka on April 13, 2018. PHOTO | ANTHONY OMUYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Bishops have urged the government to emulate South Korea and Brazil that have jailed corrupt leaders.
- Kenya recorded a slight improvement in 2018 in the annual TI corruption perception index.
The bishops also took a swipe at politicians who are already campaigning for 2022.
Speaking during the State of the Nation Address by the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) on Friday, the bishops urged county leaders to use taxpayers’ funds for development instead of lining their pockets.
“The police have to restore their image by shunning all forms of corruption and bribe taking,” Rev John Owaa, the vice chairman of KCCB said during the meeting.
GRAFT INDEX
The index, which ranks countries on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean), awarded Kenya a score of 28 ─ a slight improvement from 2016 and 2015 when the country was given 26 and 25 points, respectively.
But Kenya’s rank is still relatively poor after emerging 143rd out of 180 countries included in the corruption perception index.
The Catholic bishops have urged Kenyans to shun corruption and for the government to borrow a leaf from South Korea and Brazil that have pursued, convicted and jailed corrupt leaders.
They cited, as an example of Kenya’s deeply entrenched culture of corruption, an incident in March this year when more than 130 people were arrested for having fake admission letters to join the Kenya Defence Forces training school in Eldoret.
SUCCESSION
The bishops also took a swipe at politicians who are already campaigning for 2022.
"We find it very retrogressive, and selfish," Bishop Philip Anyolo, the KCCB chairman
