Corruption is endemic in Kenya. The slow fight on corruption experience of last few years indicates how difficult it is to kill the corruption monster rampaging our country and society. It has also revealed that, entrusting the task of eradicating corruption to a corrupt political elite does not work. A shift of paradigm - a radical surgical war on corruption is required. In the new paradigm, new anti-corruption crusaders and a new focus are required.
New anti-corruption crusaders
The war on corruption has been lost because it is led by corrupt politicians. They are the persons shouting corruption loudest. They are the ones pointing to us who is corrupt and who should be kicked out of public office. But do we need persons on Anglo-leasing list of shame, Goldenberg list of shame, Land Grabbing list of shame, or any other corruption list of shame lecturing the public on corruption or standing on gates and fences shouting others out of office? Is'nt it time to put a stop on these corrupt elites?
The new anti-corruption crusaders should be the people of Kenya. It is the people who can kill the corruption monster perpetuated by the politicians. I say this because i believe 99% of the Kenyan people are not corrupt. Corruption is perpetuated by 1% of the population led by corrupt leaders. So if the anti-corruption crusade is led by majority of the population it will surely win against corruption. In that case, the anti-corruption crusade should be championed by uncorrupt leaders. That is uncorrupt politicians, uncorrupt civil society and church leaders, uncorrupt women leaders, uncorrupt youth leaders, uncorrupt community and local leaders, uncorrupt civil servants and teachers, uncorrupt policemen and policewomen, uncorrupt judges etc. The corrupt should be removed from the arena.
A New Focus
The war on corruption can only be won by change of focus. In the past the focus has been shaped by corrupt political elites. But in the new war, the focus should switch to the corrupt politicians themselves before it moves to other sectors of society. Justice Minister Martha Karua has already changed the focus paradigm by casting the corruption spotlight on the corrupt. As such, we need efforts of more daring and youthful uncorrupt political leaders like Martha Karua to champion the crusade. It is high time the politicians stood to be counted. It is time to separate the corrupt from the uncorrupt. The corrupt should be rejected by the people and be locked-out of parliament and public office.
2007 General Elections Golden Opportunity
The 2007 general election is a golden opportunity for the people of Kenya to eradicate corruption in Kenya for all times. Voters should be educated that 2007 election is anti-corruption election, in which all corrupt leaders civic, parliamentary and presidential will be thoroughly scrutinised and locked-out of public office if found corrupt.
To assist the public to differentiate the corrupt from uncorrupt more lists of shame should be released. But the lists should not be arbitrary. They should be based on evidence of commission or omission but need not be conclusive such as required by court of law. The anti-corruption war is a moral, political and social war and cannot wait for the anti-corruption commission, the attorney general or the courts to investigate, prosecute and convict. To do so, war against corruption will never be won.
Corruption war is about perception we have been told many times by our leaders. The electorate should apply the perception principle in the 2007 election and lock-out the leaders perceived to be corrupt either in the governement or opposition. Perception principle was applied when leaders called for the resignation and firing out of office of corrupt government officials and ministers namely Murungaru, Kiraitu, Saitoti, Mwiraria, etc. The perception principle requires that those named, mentioned and associated with corruption or those who corruption took place during their watch to step aside for the investigations to be carried out. If the electorate apply the perception principle most of the current crop of politicians will be locked-out of civic, parliamentary and presidential races in 2007. As such, Kenya would be saved from the grip of corrupt politicians and regain its moral respect and integrity.
Conclusion
In the next general election, the fight is not between Narc-Kenya and ODM-Kenya (corruption v. corruption) as we are told by the corrupt political elite. The fight is about corruption (anti-corruption v. corruption). It is about eradicating corruption in the country starting with the elective public offices. Electorates will be voting for corruption if they elect corruption tainted leaders or anti-corruption if they elect uncorrupt leaders. In most civilised societies a mere allegation of corruption or other impropriety is enough to cast doubt about a politician's election candidature. Kenyans need to civilise the country by locking-out those tainted by corruption from public office.
New anti-corruption crusaders
The war on corruption has been lost because it is led by corrupt politicians. They are the persons shouting corruption loudest. They are the ones pointing to us who is corrupt and who should be kicked out of public office. But do we need persons on Anglo-leasing list of shame, Goldenberg list of shame, Land Grabbing list of shame, or any other corruption list of shame lecturing the public on corruption or standing on gates and fences shouting others out of office? Is'nt it time to put a stop on these corrupt elites?
The new anti-corruption crusaders should be the people of Kenya. It is the people who can kill the corruption monster perpetuated by the politicians. I say this because i believe 99% of the Kenyan people are not corrupt. Corruption is perpetuated by 1% of the population led by corrupt leaders. So if the anti-corruption crusade is led by majority of the population it will surely win against corruption. In that case, the anti-corruption crusade should be championed by uncorrupt leaders. That is uncorrupt politicians, uncorrupt civil society and church leaders, uncorrupt women leaders, uncorrupt youth leaders, uncorrupt community and local leaders, uncorrupt civil servants and teachers, uncorrupt policemen and policewomen, uncorrupt judges etc. The corrupt should be removed from the arena.
A New Focus
The war on corruption can only be won by change of focus. In the past the focus has been shaped by corrupt political elites. But in the new war, the focus should switch to the corrupt politicians themselves before it moves to other sectors of society. Justice Minister Martha Karua has already changed the focus paradigm by casting the corruption spotlight on the corrupt. As such, we need efforts of more daring and youthful uncorrupt political leaders like Martha Karua to champion the crusade. It is high time the politicians stood to be counted. It is time to separate the corrupt from the uncorrupt. The corrupt should be rejected by the people and be locked-out of parliament and public office.
2007 General Elections Golden Opportunity
The 2007 general election is a golden opportunity for the people of Kenya to eradicate corruption in Kenya for all times. Voters should be educated that 2007 election is anti-corruption election, in which all corrupt leaders civic, parliamentary and presidential will be thoroughly scrutinised and locked-out of public office if found corrupt.
To assist the public to differentiate the corrupt from uncorrupt more lists of shame should be released. But the lists should not be arbitrary. They should be based on evidence of commission or omission but need not be conclusive such as required by court of law. The anti-corruption war is a moral, political and social war and cannot wait for the anti-corruption commission, the attorney general or the courts to investigate, prosecute and convict. To do so, war against corruption will never be won.
Corruption war is about perception we have been told many times by our leaders. The electorate should apply the perception principle in the 2007 election and lock-out the leaders perceived to be corrupt either in the governement or opposition. Perception principle was applied when leaders called for the resignation and firing out of office of corrupt government officials and ministers namely Murungaru, Kiraitu, Saitoti, Mwiraria, etc. The perception principle requires that those named, mentioned and associated with corruption or those who corruption took place during their watch to step aside for the investigations to be carried out. If the electorate apply the perception principle most of the current crop of politicians will be locked-out of civic, parliamentary and presidential races in 2007. As such, Kenya would be saved from the grip of corrupt politicians and regain its moral respect and integrity.
Conclusion
In the next general election, the fight is not between Narc-Kenya and ODM-Kenya (corruption v. corruption) as we are told by the corrupt political elite. The fight is about corruption (anti-corruption v. corruption). It is about eradicating corruption in the country starting with the elective public offices. Electorates will be voting for corruption if they elect corruption tainted leaders or anti-corruption if they elect uncorrupt leaders. In most civilised societies a mere allegation of corruption or other impropriety is enough to cast doubt about a politician's election candidature. Kenyans need to civilise the country by locking-out those tainted by corruption from public office.
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