A poem on integrity and the crudity of corruption

By Charles Kanjama

Dis poem is comin’ from Jamaica

Adapted from Mutabaruka

Inspired by Def Poetry

And dedicated to fight corruption

Dis poem shall speak of ethics and integrity

It shall speak of the curse, the cancer, the crudity of corruption

It shall speak true tales, shall tell tragic stories

Accounts of lives damaged, economies ruined, hopes crushed

Dis poem shall say nothing new

But it shall speak of time

Time unlimited, time undefined

It remembers a young vibrant country primed for take-off

It sees authority abused, discretion damaged, accountability avoided

Dis poem mourns for dreams lost; it yearns for hopes regained

It is inspired by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission

It shall speak of Singapore, Hong Kong, Botswana

It shall wonder, ‘When will Kenya turn the page on corruption?’

Dis poem is vexed by corruption everywhere

Public sector corruption, private sector corruption

Grand corruption, petty corruption, personal corruption

Dis poem shall name names, fighters against corruption

Names like Lee Kwan Yew, Manmohan Singh, Festus Mogae

Local names like Bildad Kaggia, John Githongo, Jacinta Mwatela

Dis poem embraces personal integrity, moral values

Character, courage, magnanimity

Dis poem is about accountability, transparency, good governance

It is fighting for human dignity, equity, social justice, human rights

Dis poem is insisting about patriotism, national unity, rule of law

It is shouting for sustainable development and national values

Dis poem is tired of complaining

But complaining about tiredness

It is revolting against music, structure, poetry

Dis poem will ‘dis’ you, is ‘dissing’ you, has ‘dissed’ you

Dis poem is not like the rest

It began without a beginning

Will end without an ending

It is looking at you

Trying to make sense of dis poem

Failing to make sense of dis poem

Frustrated at dis poem

Dis poem will not be among great literary works

Will not be recited by literary enthusiasts

Will not be quoted by statesmen

It cannot be memorised

Dis poem will not change things

It needs to be changed

Dis poem speaks

With words, with silence, with its mood

Dis poem is about a person, other persons, you, everyone

It’s about a man’s story, a girl’s story, your story

History, the story still untold

Geography, the places still unseen

Dis is a performance poem

It has moves: dance moves, break-dance, hip hop, reggae

Dis poem will move you, has moved you, is moving you

Dis poem is now ringing, talking, irritating

Perplexing, leaving you perplexed

Trying to stop dis poem

Dis poem will be talked about, here, there, everywhere

It is smiling at you, laughing at you, touching you

Dis poem won’t stop till we come together to fight corruption

With blood, blood on the floor, blood on our hands

With tears, tears on our faces, tears in court, tears in jail

Dis poem will walk with you, talk with you

U shall not stop listening to dis poem

U need to know what will come next in dis poem

U shall wait for dis poem to end

But dis poem is like Kenyan corruption

So dis poem will disappoint you

Because dis poem is to be continued

In your mind, in your mind, in your mind...

—The author is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya