Lock out tainted politicians from elections

Commentary
By Stephen Karanja
The Standard.

Corruption is endemic in Kenya. The sluggish fight against it shows how difficult it is to kill the monster rampaging our society.

It has also made it clear that entrusting the task of fighting corruption to a political elite is not the best option. A shift of paradigm — a radical and surgical war on corruption is required. In the new paradigm, fresh anti-corruption crusaders and focus are required.

The war on corruption has been lost because politicians are not clean. They shout loudest against it and point fingers at others. But should suspects of Anglo Leasing, Goldenberg, land grabbing and other scams lecture the public on corruption? Can they stand on a high moral ground and tell us to listen to them?

People should take over the anti-corruption crusade. It is they who can kill the monster politicians have perpetuated for decades. Ninety-nine per cent of Kenyans are not corrupt. Only one per cent of the population perpetuates the vice.

If the majority takes up the anti-corruption crusade, the war will surely be won. This is why leaders who are not tainted should lead the war — politicians, NGOs church, women and youth leaders and civil servants, police officers and judges with clean hands.

Change of focus is also crucial. In the past, the corrupt elite has shaped the focus. But in the new front, the focus should shift to the corrupt before it moves to other sectors in society. Justice Minister Ms Martha Karua has already changed this by shining the spotlight on the corrupt.

As such, we need efforts of more daring and youthful leaders to champion the crusade. It is time politicians stood to be counted and to separate the corrupt from the clean.

Voters should reject the corrupt and lock them out of Parliament and public office. Next year’s election is a golden opportunity to eradicate corruption once and for all. Voters should be made to understand that the poll is an anti-corruption election and tainted civic, parliamentary and presidential aspirants should be scrutinised and those found wanting locked out of public office.

To help differentiate the corrupt from the uncorrupt, more lists of shame should be made public. But they must not be arbitrary — rather they should be based on evidence of commission or omission, but need not be conclusive as is required in a court of law.

The anti-corruption war is a moral, political and social one and it cannot wait for the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission, the Attorney-General or the courts to investigate, prosecute and convict. If this must happen, the war against corruption will never be won.

The anti-corruption crusade is about perception and the electorate should apply the perception principle in next year’s election and dispose of leaders in Government or the Opposition who do not measure up.

The perception principle was used when leaders called for the resignation and sacking of suspected corrupt Government officials and ministers, including Mr Chris Murungaru, Mr Kiraitu Murungi, Prof George Saitoti and Mr David Mwiraria.

The principle requires that those mentioned and associated with corruption or those under whose charge the vice is alleged to have taken place to step aside for investigations to be carried out.

If the electorate applied the perception principle, most politicians would not contest civic, parliamentary and presidential seats next year. The country would be saved from the grip of tainted politicians and regain moral respect and integrity.

In the next election, the fight is not between Narc-Kenya and ODM-Kenya (corruption vs corruption) as the political elite tells all those who are ready to listen. It is between anti-corruption and corruption.

It is about eradicating the vice and starting with elective public office. The electorate will vote for corruption if it elects tainted leaders. But if it goes for those with clean hands, then it will have cast the ballot for anti-corruption.

In democracies, a mere allegation of corruption or impropriety is enough to cast doubt about a politician’s candidature. Kenyans must aspire for this and lock out from public office those corruption has tainted. The time for talk is over — it is time to act.