JEDDAH, 11 September 2004 — US envoy to Kenya, William Bellamy, has urged Kenya to end rampant public corruption. The envoy was not alone in publicly pushing the East African country to rein in corruption or risk losing international donor support.
In July, Britain’s Ambassador to Kenya, Edward Clay, also criticized President Mwai Kibaki’s government, blaming it for “new cases of corruption” since coming to power in late 2002 with a promise of ending graft.
The Western diplomats have only highlighted the stance of their governments on graft in Kenya, but the most difficult thing is the spreading of the culture of corruption within government institutions. Some observers have accused the judiciary and police of taking bribes. Obviously, a corrupt police force cannot combat organized crimes, terrorism and other illicit activities.
Since its independence from Britain 40 years ago, Kenya has been facing corruption and misrule. Over the years there has been a wide disconnect between the people and the government and between people’s aspirations and the government’s attitude toward them. While discontent simmered for years, it came to a boil in the last two decades as a result of uncontrolled corruption, which in turn paved the for terrorist threats and economic decline. Kenyans blame former President Daniel arap Moi for failing to remove officials who mismanaged state resources.
Analysts believe that Kenya’s corruption has paved the way for insecurity, and terrorist attacks. This led Kenya to become a victim of major terrorist attacks in the African continent. Kenya’s border with anarchic Somalia is insecure and there are huge illegal cross-border movements of goods and suspected terrorists, and illicit trafficking of weapons and explosives.
In November 2002, an Israeli-owned hotel in Kenya was bombed, killing 18 people. In August 1998, truck bombs exploded at US Embassy in Nairobi killing over 200 Kenyans. The terror acts have caused the loss of human lives and the destruction of the socio-economic development of the country.
Now the question is: What happened to President Kibaki’s unprecedented anti-graft war? Kenya’s government promised the people it was prosecuting corrupt officials as it uncovered graft and making strides toward uprooting corruption and misrule that set in during the 24 years that former President Daniel arap Moi was in power. But the comments of Western diplomats have exposed how the Kibaki administration has failed to uproot graft, and have discouraged foreign investors who are already wary of corruption and government monopolies in certain businesses in the country.
Political analysts say that the government should adopt disciplinary measures against corrupt public servants including police and judicial officers, and should adopt laws to contain acts of corruption and outlaw bribery. The commentators view that the East African country had been traumatized by instability.
Kenyans have been living in an atmosphere of fear and insecurity for the last couple of years. Corruption, lack of security and terrorism have destroyed infrastructure and properties. Kenyans expect that the current government must adopt a genuine anti-graft war. After that the government could reconstruct public institutions and address the demands of a modern society such as economic development, health care, improved education, and strong anti-terrorist measures.
Kenya is not a rich country in terms of large oil deposits, diamonds or other economic assets which might increase a culture of corruption. What it chiefly has is its people — their intelligence, work ethic, education, entrepreneurial and other skills. That is why many believe that Kenya could regain its lost glory if the fight against graft is won.
