OF CORRUPTION SCANDALS; WHERE IS THE ONE RIGHTEOUS MAN TO CAST THE FIRST STONE?

The present Kenyan Cabinet that does not seem to find one among them that can cast the first stone on matters of corruption

By Jerry Okungu
February 10, 2010

Very soon this country will begin suffering from an acute scandal and commissions of enquiry fatigue. The frequency with which scandals explode on our faces, coupled with the rate at which commissions and task forces are formed to investigate them, are beginning to wear Kenyans out.

There is nothing unusual having corruption scandals breaking out from time to time. This phenomenon is not unique to Kenya. One just needs to be on the look out to see how many such cases have been reported in neighboring Uganda, Tanzania and faraway lands such as Nigeria, South Africa, Great Britain and the United States of America.

If probes were a deterrent to new and emerging corruption, Kenyans would never had had to deal with new grafts such as Anglo Leasing, Triton, Grand Regency Hotel, Maize Scandal and now the Free Primary Education cash fiasco after what we went through during the Golden Berg Commission of Inquiry.

Apart from the Ndung’u Commission on Land that captured in graphic details the rampant land grabbing mania that had permeated our political system for four decades, one would have expected the nation to sober up following the establishment of the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission, a body that was supposed to lay the dragon once and for all. It was not to be.

A look at the current merry-go-round with the latest Free Primary Education cash swindles and the blame game that has accompanied it, Kenyans can now put their fingers where this society hurts most. It is not in the mental capacity to grab public funds and resources for personal gain; it is not the callousness with which our rulers and their appointees have decided to impoverish us; rather it is in our capacity to have no feelings at all about how our actions impact on the rest of our society.

It is true God loves Kenya so much that he gave His only begotten son to come and die for our sins. That is why millions of Kenyans are God-fearing and pray every day in all manner of churches. He also gave us beautiful rivers, mountains and plenty of wild life. Materially God gave us everything that we could possibly have to lead comfortable lifestyles.

But in so being kind to us, God denied us a few vital gifts that are necessary for a stable and prosperous nation. Instead of giving us wise, considerate and righteous leaders, he gave us thieves, fraudsters, scoundrels, murderers and rapists. Instead of giving us men and women who fear Him, He gave us liars, conmen and women who would do anything to have power and glory even if it means killing their fellow men.

It is because God denied us men and women of honor, leaders of integrity and conscience that we have these scandals sprouting in our midst every day yet we don’t hear or see people committing suicide out of shame and family honor as they do in Japan, South Korea, Singapore or Malaysia.

In those countries, family name is a big deal. No parent would want to be an embarrassment to his family. Hence when individuals in high positions in society are accused of misuse of power or public office, they choose to take their lives because the shame would be too much to bear.

Unfortunately in Kenya, corruption scandals have become a way of life. It is no longer whether one is caught dipping his fingers into a public coffer. What matters is how much was scooped from the till.

Coupled with our compromised law enforcement officers and a judiciary that is also known to partake of the same, it is obvious that the law as it is, is there but it is an orphan. It has no one brave enough to enforce it except when it applies to the less fortunate member of society. It only applies to the chicken thief in the village or the pick pocket in our urban streets.

It is only in Kenya where the Prime Minister of the Republic can challenge his President to sack two corrupt public officials in a public forum and nothing happens. It is only in Kenya where a cabinet minister can lose an election petition in a court of law but still clings to government property because the law enforcers have declined to enforce a court order.

It is only in Kenya where a known thief under probe in a public enquiry can autograph school children’s books in the full view of their parents. In other words, it is only in Kenya where all the vices that relate to theft and graft of public funds are glorified as poverty with honor and dignity are frowned upon.

It is this inability to feel ashamed that makes every top ranking government official defy orders to resign when corruption allegations are levelled against them because there are precedents. In other words, the whole nation is guilty and has come short of the glory of God and finding one righteous man to cast the first stone has not been easy indeed. It is the reason the Prime Minister may never get to deal with corruption. It is because he is a lone voice crying in the wilderness.

jerry@jerryokungu.com

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