How corruption has crippled development in Kenya

While watching President Uhuru’s speech on the State of the Nation on Thursday, for the first time I trusted his words that Kenya is on due course to apprehend those embroiled in mega sagas that have cost Kenyans millions of money .

Given that the list comprises of the most outspoken and flamboyant political bigwigs and technocrats who have all it takes to be on power, implementing what the President promised will be a hard nut to crack. How many political leaders have been implicated in corruption sagas, stepped down and after investigation, all we hear is that there was no evidence beyond reasonable doubt to victimise them? They continue with life as if nothing happened.

Kenya as a nation lags behind in development due to corruption that has become part and parcel of our society. Even from the grassroots level, here in Kisii County, corruption is not a rare vocabulary on the lips of many. We live by it and whatever the case, few people have benefited subjecting majority to suffer in our injustice society.

One key bedevilling factor is tribalism. Whenever an individual is implicated in corruption, what he/she does is to announce ‘war’ against a specific tribe. What still disturbs me is why commit an offense as an individual and the moment the law takes its course, create a gender setting that if a single person is prosecuted, then the whole community will suffer?

It is high time that as a nation we tame corruption and impunity once and for all. The gap between the rich and the poor is widening each single day due our unrealistic society. Jubilee administration should do something to be different from previous successive regimes who danced to the tune of corruption offenders. Justice will only be to all Kenyans; both rich and poor, young and all, ladies and gentlemen if as nation we cease self-centeredness syndrome and tribal cocoons that we often camp to whenever an issue of national importance rises.

Politics has since time immemorial barred judiciary from convicting corruption offenders. Politicians on fear of losing support from some parts of the country will do what they can to cripple justice. My hope is that politics will not moderate justice here.

Finally, corruption can’t be fought by one person, but a collection of every one in society. Let’s be the change we want to be. Kenya will be a safe haven when all the moral decadence is wiped out by reformists who want change.