HOW TRIBALISM HINDERS FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION IN KENYA

From: joachim omolo ouko
News Dispatch with Father Omolo Beste
TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014

John from Narok writes: “Fr Beste thank you for this good work you are doing to educate Kenyans through your news blog. In one of your articles you said corruption cannot end in Kenya as yet. Why do you say so Father?”

Thank for asking this important question John. I am saying so because one factor that fuels the problems of corruption in Kenya is tribal loyalty. Member of the same clan or tribe often form cartels of corruption, and as such it becomes their turn to eat.

It explains why corruption played a role with all 3 Kenyan presidents up to now. Jomo Kenyatta handed over land to members of his own clan and tribe. Kenyatta himself became one of the largest private land owners in the country.

Daniel arap Moi did exactly the same. Mwai Kibaki continued with the system. Like Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel arap Moi, Mwai Kibaki administration consisted largely of his tribe. From 2003 to 2006, Kibaki’s cabinet spent 14 million dollars on new Mercedes cars for themselves.

President Uhuru Kenyatta is doing exactly the same. Key- job positions in his government has been taken by people from his tribe. Raila Amolo Odinga probably would have done exactly the same when he could be the president.

This is despite the fact that legislation against corruption is mandated to deal with such corrupt deals. Under the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes act, the KACC is mandated to fight and prevent corruption.

Unless corruption is weeded out, Kenyans will continue to become poorer and poorer. It explains why majority of Kenyans continue to live below the poverty level. This is mainly because of mass unemployment, which has resulted to rising crimes, especially armed robbery and carjackings – in Nairobi and other major towns.

That is why between 1992 and 1998, infant mortality for under five-year-olds rose from 74 to 105 per 1,000 and still continues to do the same. That is because the pledges presidents who succeed another make that they will fight corruption is not honored.

Partly because they were in the same government they are succeeding. It means they were part of that corruption. It was with this in mind that President Mwai Kibaki could not charge people who were implicated in Goldenberg scandals, despite recommendation by the Attorney general Amos Wako that they should be charged.

This was according to the commission Kipaki appointed to fully investigate the Goldenberg export compensation scandal, which cost Kenya billions of shillings in the early 1990s. According to witnesses at the commission’s hearings, as much as 60 billion Kenyan shilllings (US$850 million)—a fifth of Kenya’s gross domestic product—was looted from the country’s Central Bank through billionaire Kamlesh Pattni’s Exchange Bank in 1991.

Kibaki could not charge them because the inquiry implicated Daniel arap Moi, his two sons, Philip and Gideon (now a Governor in Kentatta’s government), and his daughter June, as well as a host of high-ranking Kenyans.

In his testimony, Treasury Permanent Secretary Joseph Magari recounted that in 1991, President Moi ordered him to pay Ksh34.5 million ($460,000) to Goldenberg, contrary to the law existing then.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail obolobeste@gmail.com
Omolo_ouko@outlook.com
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