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.
