Friday 18 May 2012

THE SHAMING LEVELS OF CORRUPTION IN KENYA (PART I)



Trust Kenya’s ridiculous corruption levels to make your jaw drop so far you’ll have a hard time picking it back up any day. No kidding!! Hardly does the country’s citizenry go for long without been treated to stage shows of fraud cases blowing up, which are always a case of same script different cast. If you imagined you had seen the nastiest forms of fraud, rest assured this will put to shame whatever you had in mind.
  
Following Kenya’s post election violence, serious destruction of produce and subsequent low yield, an outrageous shortage of maize hit the country not so long ago. The prices of maize and related products skyrocketed to inconceivable levels, making Kenya’s staple food unaffordable to most citizens. This prompted the government to turn to the Strategic Grain Reserves, which stores grains to be used only in times of urgent situations. 
A hungry child in Kenya.


The government set out to equitably apportion the maize among millers so as to ensure there was affordable flour in the market to caution ordinary Kenyan’s against the looming starvation crisis. In addition, more maize was imported to cover the deficit. At last the situation was been contained, and the worst was over, or so the citizens thought.

Weeks down the line, and the ‘maize scandal’ blows up. Maize meant for cautioning Kenyans against the looming starvation crisis was illegally apportioned to people and companies who were neither millers nor did they own milling premises. They then sold the maize to genuine millers at exorbitant prices, making abnormal profits; this at the expense of millions of Kenyans staring starvation in the face. Who in their sound mind does that??”

Heightened shortage of maize and maize flour as a result of the scandal, the high cost of the commodities in the market coupled with the looming scandal created a lethal mix. Scores of angry citizens took to the streets of the capital Nairobi bringing business in the city to a near standstill. They chanted anti government slogans and carried placards demanding that all focus be shifted to address the serious situation.
citizens carrying a dummy packet of maize flour during the demonstrations over the commodity's high cost


 If this swindle astonishes you, please don’t be, because you’ve barely read this article.

Just when ordinary Kenyans thought they had seen the worst, it emerged that over 4 billion shillings which had been donated by the United Kingdom government towards the very noble Free Primary Education program, was missing and could not be accounted for. This new development bore the ‘F P E funds scandal’ (the Free Primary Education funds scandal).

For those who may not know, let me bring you abreast with the specifics relating to the education sector in Kenya. There aren’t enough teachers in public schools. In some parts of the country, students have to study under trees due to inadequate classes or non existence altogether; never mind the harsh and extreme weather conditions. There aren’t enough reading materials for the pupils. The desks in most public schools have to be shared by more students than they were meant for, to mention but a few challenges facing the F P E program.



students in a classroom under Kenya's F P E program


a class in session under a tree


In view of these challenges, it is appreciable that donor funds meant for the program would have been such a big relief to millions of Kenyan school going children. This was not to be. Not only were the donor funds missing, but worse, they could not be accounted for. As if that is not enough to cause anyone a heart ache, an infuriated United Kingdom government demanded their money back, strongly stating that their taxpayers money could not be out to benefit a few greedy Kenyans. That translated into two things; the Kenyan government paid back the donated amount from the public kitty, since the donated funds were missing, and Kenyans were left worse off than they were before the donor funds!! 

It is frightening to think that some individuals would be as sly as to steal from a starving citizenry and innocent, defenseless school going children, thus putting into jeopardy the nation’s future. I hate to break it to you ladies and gentlemen, but these are facts, and facts are stubborn things. 

I had you on my mind when writing this article, and I thought it prudent to spare you a rash despondency. In part two of this piece of writing, you will be shocked beyond words upon learning that in its quest to feed its insatiable gluttony, corruption in Kenya has not spared the sick and more disgracefully, the dead! It’s an article you don’t want to miss out on!

No comments:

Post a Comment