More needed to fight entrenched corruption

The extent of rot within government is amplified by key ministries; Interior, Education, Health and Lands being listed top in corruption rankings. And while Kenyans are hopeful that the new war against corruption would yield fruit, the National Ethics and Corruption Survey 2017 shows that the Ministry of Interior tops the list of ministries and other institutions of Government perceived to be corrupt, at 64.7 per cent , an 18.8 per cent increase from 45.9 per cent in 2016.

As has been the case over successive years, the police topped the list of ignominy in government departments at 23.8 percent followed by the Kenya Police Service at 13.7 percent. This is the clearest indicator the National Police Service has failed to live up to its billing. Public hospitals and the Kenya Revenue Authority feature prominently in this list, signaling a breakdown in service delivery that leaves citizens at the mercy of corrupt individuals.

Even though Counties were created to take services closer to the people, giving them value for their taxes, they have not fared better either because, according to the report, citizens are forced to bribe officials to get services. Turkana County tops the list of counties where bribing was observed to be highest. After Turkana, the other most corrupt counties are Mandera, Murang’a Uasin Gishu, Garissa, Kiambu and Tana River.

Reining in corruption is a national concern, all the more reason for supporting efforts by the DPP and DCI in bringing the corrupt to book. Together, we can win this war.