Kibaki, Raila should not just issue tough warnings, they must act

Corruption has variously been referred to as a cancer slowly killing the Kenyan society. It has been considered an enemy that is slowly devouring national good. Economic, political and societal development is often seriously impeded by corruption.

For the above reasons, Kenyan leaders have always pledged to fight corruption. They have often used it as a pre-election pledge. Duped, and convinced by their apparent ‘honesty’ and commitment to eradication of graft, people have taken their word and voted them into power.

President Kibaki made this same pledge eight years ago. He vowed to crush corruption, and declared zero-tolerance on graft. Words aplenty. Actions naught.

Indeed, people close to power soon discovered easy avenues to wealth. Seduced by the allure of big cars, massive houses, rich and spilling bank accounts, Western education for their children, and the best medical care etc, some ministers seemed in a hurry to fleece Kenyans. To quote Sir Edward Clay, former British High Commissioner in Nairobi, they were gluttonous, greedily ‘eating’ with total abandon. And thus cases of grand corruption re-emerged amid more empty promises, tough empty talk.

Massive funding

The Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) became a laughingstock, unable to prosecute any big fish despite massive funding, and national goodwill. And for this the Prime Minister Raila Odinga is seriously piqued, spitting venom, expressing frustration at the slow pace of investigations saying, KACC should not act "as if it is investigating a murder".

"A responsible Government does not wait for KACC or the courts if a public servant loses the public confidence," said Raila on Friday, at the opening of a meeting of Permanent Secretaries, PCs, and chief executives of State firms convened in the wake of high profile graft cases. The two-day meeting held at the Kenya Institute of Administration was themed ‘Leadership and Integrity in Public Service’. Such meetings, with lofty ideals, have become mere talkshops where Government officals share useless banter.

The tragedy is that we have heard their statements, and their hard-hitting pronouncements before. But their words are rarely accompanied by action because of vested interests or maybe because those involved are too close to power.

Even as the Government and the principals, President Kibaki and Raila renew their commitment to battle graft, there is little indication their words will translate to action. But maybe we ought to give them the benefit of the doubt. However, Kenyans are tired of same old stuff, same old talk, without action.

The argument that those implicated in corruption should step down does not wash in a country where people will continue holding onto their high offices not because they are working, or deserve the positions but because of the massive perks they receive, and avenues open to them to continue their reckless rape of State coffers.

Vacate office

The President and Prime Minister should have the willpower and capacity to sack officials implicated in corruption whatever their stations in Government and society. There is no need to ask, for example, Education Minister Prof Sam Ongeri and his Permanent Secretary Karega Mutahi to step down. Simply tell them to vacate the offices until they are cleared of impropriety in the loss of millions of shillings meant for Free Primary Education Programme. The fact that they sit at the helm of the ministry means the buck stops with them. They must be held accountable for whatever goes on in their departments. They cannot claim ignorance of the loss of millions of shillings whose consequences are far-reaching on the education of millions of children.

For Ongeri and Karega, it is time to step aside. There is little ground to hold onto given the public mood and opinion. They should do so until independent investigations have cleared them of any wrongdoing. To read political mischief in such request is to totally miss the point. That may be the preferred excuse, but one that does not wash with Kenyans.