Wednesday 31 October 2012

THE CANCER OF CORRUPTION



Corruption epidemic continues to spread and thrive. It has become a gigantic problem world over. The fight against the vice staged by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has yielded little results if any. The high and mighty who engage in corruption scandals as much walks free. Perhaps what has changed is that the bribes are being given and received behind the scenes as opposed to earlier times when it was done publicly.
The country has been rocked with numerous corruption scandals which includes but not limited to the following NHIF, Goldenberg, Anglo Leasing, Triton, Water, Maize and the Free Primary Education scandal where 4.2M was embezzled. All these involved misappropriation and embezzlement of large sums of taxpayers’ money but at dismay of everyone no arrests have been made.
Corruption leads to high cost of business. This translates to reduction in the number of investors in the country. The cost of starting and operating the business becomes exorbitant as a result of bribes that some corrupt officials in the authorities demand in order to issue a particular license. We must realize that it is these investments that provide employment opportunities to the people and their absence will only aggravate the already worsening situation of unemployment.
It has also denied people access to justice. Some criminals bribe the judges and the police and walk scot free and justice would have been denied. All is not lost as a new dawn begins in the Judiciary with the entry of the new Chief Justice and his Deputy. Already the vetting of the judges is in the offing which will see the selection of transparent and ethical judges.
Road carnage on our roads has been on the rise of late. The drivers and their conductors have made it their duty to bribe traffic police officers who I turn allow them to flout the traffic rules. After paying they are at liberty to over speed, overload, drive road unworthy vehicles, not fitting their vehicles with seatbelts among other traffic violations. What’s disturbing is that the bribery takes place in full glare of the passengers but they don’t report these incidents to EACC. This has become a culture and for a minute one may think that it’s a levy but it isn’t. The end result is that more and more deaths of our beloved relatives and friends courtesy of corruption: deaths which we would have otherwise prevented.

Corruption has also contributed significantly to unfair recruitment of people for vacancies in both public and private sector. People are paying bribes in order to secure employment. This has resulted into a situation whereby the highest bidder will have the job. This is done without regarding the qualifications. It has locked out potential employees who would have otherwise taken the job but since they don’t have the required bribe or are unwilling to pay, they remain unemployed. This vice was at one time reported in the recruitment of security agencies where participants were coughing as much as Ksh.80, 000.
Corruption is an impediment in the realization of Kenya’s Vision 2030.To put an end to this vice, it will require action not only by EACC but a joint effort of everyone. You begin by refusing to give bribes and similarly receiving none. All said and done the buck stops with you.