Corruption cacophony now full circus

Drama pervaded last week. ‘The pot calling the kettle black’ assumed a new meaning with Senator Kipchumba Murkomen’s branding of Member of Parliament John Mbadi a loudmouth.

Murkomen can’t make up his mind whether, as he averred last year, former Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru was being unfairly targeted by the Opposition for her impeccable record or whether, as he sees her now, she is a criminal whom the Opposition is keen to protect.

That he also claimed some CORD governors had confided their party tribulations to him was as improbable as it was nonsensical. No self-respecting CORD governor would contemplate doing such a thing, and of all the people, to Murkomen. ‘Hollowness’ too, just got a makeover.

Yet it is such hollowness that characterises what is wrong with the calibre of leadership we have: issues don’t count any more as personality attacks and character assassination assume centre stage, all in the spirit of covering indiscretions that won’t go away.

Lack of attention to detail caused the Booker police station in Mumias to be raided. In the process, several guns were stolen. The first thing that should have happened was to hang the officer commanding the station on the nearest tree for negligence.

Instead, the General Service Unit was called in to reclaim the guns. In their zest and abundant wisdom, they believed they could find the stolen guns and the criminals under women’s skirts and inside the cracked skulls of men who otherwise wouldn’t hurt a fly.

Two reported deaths later, rape, several injuries, stolen property and burnt houses, the guns and criminals are still at large. The Inspector General of Police promised action; but, don’t be naive.

At the same time, Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga and Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya had to leave the same area the police were terrorising residents in haste after goons sympathetic to local Member of Parliament Bernard Washiali and a disaffected former ODM youth leader Rashid Mohammed who were addressing a political gathering stoned their vehicle, smashing the windscreen.

The alacrity with which a court issued orders to investigate the Sh51 million losses in Kilifi County was impressive to say the least, considering that previous such requests to investigate serious corruption cases where billions of shillings went missing hit brick walls.

Leader of Majority in Parliament Aden Duale sensationally claimed ODM governors routinely gave monthly stipends to party leader Raila Odinga to remain on the right side of things.

These are serious allegations that must be proven lest the perfunctory fight against corruption becomes a full-blown circus. But because nothing in his blanket claims could persuade me Duale was not just after drawing attention to himself, his claims should be treated with the contempt they deserve.

If indeed Duale, and by extension the Government had proof of corruption against CORD governors, failure to arrest them confirms the Government is at peace with sleaze. Why else wouldn’t it arrest people against whom it has actionable evidence? Such puerile claims don’t aid the Government’s cause.

Almost two years later, Duale is yet to tell Kenyans who the masterminds of terrorist attacks on Kenya in 2014 were; that is how credible the man is. Mercifully, coincidentally or by design, the attacks slackened after that idle threat; raising more questions than answers.

Reports that Deputy President William Ruto had castigated a church for declining harambee donations from politicians and Farouk Kibet, the DP’s Personal Assistant finally admitting he had taken Sh1.5 million from NYS capped the week. The “fools parade” is only just beginning to snowball.

There is too much bitterness, pettiness and hatred within society over corruption, yet very little effort is being made to apprehend culprits amid the growing cacophony.

Those labelled culprits or beneficiaries are shouting even louder, charging their accusers with the same vice. The Government gets the heavy end of criticism over corruption for the simple reason it has monopoly over State institutions that must, between them, make corruption an expensive undertaking.

But rather than prod them into action, the Government is pre-occupied with trading punches with the Opposition; accusing it of sabotage. The office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the courts and the police give the impression of working at cross-purposes.

The lack of commitment by investigators in uncovering the truth about corruption is exposed when a parliamentary committee is able to unearth more sleaze than EACC and the police have done through investigations. That bespeaks of attempts to shield high-placed individuals.

In 2 Peter2; 19, the bible says: “They (read Jubilee) promise them (read Kenyans) freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved”.