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Graft has
gone up, say Kenyans
Story by LUCAS BARASA
Publication Date: 9/17/2005
Ninety four per cent of Kenyans
think corruption has increased since Narc came to power in 2003,
says a report.
But the report was rejected by some
civil society leaders who claimed it was not inclusive and that it
had been doctored to suit some interests.
| The 94 per cent of
people felt "corruption was growing instead of
decreasing," said the local African Peer Review
Mechanism (APRM) national governing council chairperson, the
Rev Jepthah Gathaka.
He was speaking during an
APRM national stakeholders consultative forum at Kenyatta
International Conference Centre, Nairobi, yesterday.
The Rev Gathaka said he
witnessed policemen receiving bribes at a roadblock, showing
that the vice was still on and that "the 94 per cent
was not an exaggeration and the percentage could even be
more."
"Of the 13 roadblocks I
passed while travelling to Busia, there were activities
going on either behind or in front of the vehicle. It is a
pity that Kenyans can no longer be proud of being
Kenyan," he said. |
Mr Lesrima |
People felt the Government was not
doing much to end the vice but they too continued to give bribes,
he said.
However, in the report, Kenyans
praise the Government for introducing free primary education and
attempting to improve health services.
The Rev Gathaka warned: "They
however feel the Government is turning from being of the people,
for the people, to that of politicians for politicians."
The report captured the views of
Kenyans, said the Rev Gathaka.
Planning and National Development
assistant minister Simeon Lesrima said the report was a reflection
of what Kenyans thought about governance but denied that
corruption had increased on a large scale in the past two and a
half years. "It is a question of perception and opening up of
democratic space and freedom of expression," he said.
Prof Michael Chege, an adviser for
the Planning ministry, said Kenyans had also given the Government
credit for trying to deal with corruption.
They were, however, unhappy with
the small number of prosecutions and recovery of stolen property.
"Many of those implicated in
graft are still free and the Government has to try hard to bring
them to book," he said.
But the Government was accused of
interfering with the process and doctoring the report by a group
of civil society leaders at Pan-Afric Hotel.
The group, led by former local APRM
national governing council chairperson Grace Akumu, said key
actors in the process were also locked out.
"The minister should be
prevailed upon from delivering a flawed APRM Kenya Report,"
they said in a statement.
The review falls under Planning
minister Anyang' Nyongo's docket.
The group also vowed to urge the
APRM continental secretariat in South Africa to reject the report
and allow them to conduct a shadow review which would include the
views of all Kenyans.
Kenya is among four countries
chosen by the New Partnership for African Development (Nepad) for
the APRM survey, which looks at the country's performance in
political, democratic, socio-economic and good corporate
governance. The others are Rwanda, Ghana and Mauritius.
Rwanda and Ghana have already
presented their reports but Mauritius' was rejected for alleged
government interference.
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