Commentary & Analysis
Updated on: Sunday, July 06, 2008
Story by: BOLD SCRIPTS with OMAR ALI
Just like tribalism, corruption cannot be eradicated in Kenya. Those in the position of power have no moral desire to do so because they themselves want to acquire the wealth through whatever means for their families.
In addition there is no deterrent effect to stop corruption just like there is none to eradicate tribalism. Corruption has already become part of our culture so to speak.
In addition there is no deterrent effect to stop corruption just like there is none to eradicate tribalism. Corruption has already become part of our culture so to speak.
It starts from the top in boardrooms and tickles its way down to the main street. That is why, the lowest individuals on the street such as the Traffic Police Officer or police manning a road-block will always demand “kitu kidogo” because they know it is our culture. Talk of culture of corruption. Take for instance, the two former first families of the Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel arap Moi who are today two of the wealthiest families in the Eastern Africa region and yet both Kenyatta and Moi are known to have came from humble beginnings. Where did they get such wealth?
A question comes; from whom did the Kenyatta family purchase the huge tracts of lands they own at the Coast and elsewhere in the country? How about the Moi family? Let us leave the first families, perhaps you give them a pass and say they patriarchs were heads of states. There are families of former “powerful” provincial commissioners and district commissioners, from both the Kenyatta and Moi regimes, who are so wealthy one wonders how did they acquired such wealth if it was not through corrupt means.
I remember a story of a court battle involving an estate of a former PC hailing from Rift Valley (who was deceased), the fight involved a staggering Sh100 million.
How could a PC’s estate be worth Sh100 million? From the PCs and DCs, we have former ministers, assistant ministers and other senior government bureaucrats who are today millionaires and billionaires all through questionable means – read corruption. I don’t want to name names, some of them have since legitimizes their wealth and are now referred and o considered successfully businessmen and women.
We have Pattni who came from nowhere and become a billionaire through the help of cabinet ministers and senior government officials, who also benefited and acquired the wealth together. In the Goldenberg scandal Kenyans did not see anyone going to prison and or payback the public funds that were stolen. The Anglo Leasing scandal came and went, there were individuals who benefited financially from the scam and no one went to prison or asked to payback the public funds. There are individuals who are known to have fraudulently acquired public land worth Sh100 million from a government agency and were trying to sale the same property to the same government agency they stole from; et al. The list is endless.
It is from this backdrop that the Finance Minister Amos Kimunya thought what could really happen to him with the questionable and equally suspicious secret sale of the Nairobi’s prestigious Grand Regency Hotel. Perhaps, he thought that others who have preceded him have not paid any prize for being corrupt and as the “prince of impunity” and the fact that he is untouchable there is nothing that will happen to him. The National Assembly on Wednesday in a censure motion passed a very symbolic vote of no-confidence against the Finance minister, but sadly the Constitution is silent on what should happen next to the minister. President Mwai Kibaki is not duty-bound by any parliamentary action to fire Kimunya.
The honourable thing for the Kipiriri MP to do is perhaps to resign from his ministerial office and continue to serve his constituents from the backbench. Of course in a perfect world, the Minister should also resign his parliamentary seat, but that will never happen, and yes I said it never happen. This column believes that it was in bad taste for the legislators to issue ultimatum to President Mwai Kibaki to fire Kimunya. Cabinet Ministers everywhere serve at the pleasure of the head of state or head of government as the case may be. But one thing is for sure, Kimunya’s tenure at the Treasury, should Kibaki decide to retain him, will not be same again.
He will not command any respect from any quarters other than that from his family, friends and relatives. The public through streets demonstrations in Nairobi and Mombasa and through their elected representatives have now lost confidence in him, so is the international community watching through their diplomatic representations.
Boldly speaking, corruption like tribalism will and cannot be eradicated. It has become our sub-culture. Look at all those who are defending Kimunya, they are all from the Mt Kenya region. God save Kenya!
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