Fast track corruption cases to stop suspects getting away with crime

This year, Kenya has made strides in speaking about and fighting corruption, particularly in public office. Cabinet Secretaries, governors, parastatal chiefs and businessmen have found themselves shuffling around the corridors of justice answering to corruption charges. While this is commendable, we hope to see more action next year.

That fighting graft will not just end in lengthy legal battles that will take courts decades to rule on. Kenyans need more action from the justice system. It is not enough to charge individuals, what Kenyans want is conviction of those found guilty of stealing money meant for an ailing nation. The struggling economy can be attributed to the theft of billions of shillings from public coffers.

Although cases are before the court, public faith in the outcome of these cases is fast waning because of a near negligible conviction rate by the prosecution. It is looking increasingly easy to loot taxpayers’ money and get away with it. In fact, in a complete opposite of what the situation was a decade ago, fresh graduates and private sector titans are angling to get state jobs. This has proved an express elevator to suspect riches with zero accountability.

Entire development budgets have gone missing, with perpetrators getting a slight slap on their wrists. In the most bizarre cases, those believed to have participated in mass looting always get compensated for their efforts, either through elective posts or through dubious government appointments.

In the coming year, corruption must punished. Investigating officers from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations as well as the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions must ensure graft cases are airtight. The Judiciary too must pull its weight in making sure that cases before the courts are not dragged in unnecessarily. This will only aid in buying time for the suspects.

Finally, we must look inwards and decisively deal with those dipping their fingers into the public purse. Justice needs to not only be done, but it should also be seen to be done.