Monday, August 28, 2006

Corruption killing us?

Papers have been written, books published, and the University of Nairobi Library cannot fall short of dissertations focusing on the evils of corruption.

However, little has been done (long of establishing the Anti-Corruption commission) to fight real corruption.

Take for instance my friends and I are enjoying a walk in the coast when two officers stop us and ask us for our National Identity Cards. We tell him at this instance we don’t have any ID’s but if they are willing we could go back to our residence and show him our ID’s. What does he do? He insists that we stay with him and he is going to take us to the police post and continues to insist how many crimes we have committed. To release us he might need us to part with a little amount of money. Only when I inform him that I am a lawyer does he release us with a little of arrogance.

I would have expected without any reasonable suspicion that we were foreigners or illegal immigrants on his part; he should have been concerned that we were walking at night and advise us as to the security.

And in Kenya corruption is such a way of life. People here don’t question the police; they don’t want to fight for their rights.

“Its easier to find a Kenyan fighting over Ksh.20 change with a conductor than asking a police what is their basis of the so called arrest.”

I have no knowledge of any laws that require me to carry my ID. When I look the back of my ID I don’t see

“Produce ID when required”.

Corruption in the Lands/Courts Registry
I don’t know where to start this one. Corruption in the justice system doesn’t start and end with judges.

It starts in the registry. Here is how Registries work to ensure that justice is not done

Clerk at registry gets fueled by an opposition party. Clerk hides file. Justice is delayed.

Case in perspective

I was once attending a Court of Appeal session and some three people had title deed issued on the same day and the judge was trying to ponder on who is the real owner of the specific land.

I might wish to recall the case of the Kileleshwa apartments when due to corruption in the KANU dark days; some individual ended up with a land which was not theirs and later on has ended getting an order to demolish the apartments.

How do you trust the title deed issued thence on?

THE DARK EFFECTS

Frustration on investors leading to capital flight: I am sure they cannot even release the statistics on capital flight due to corruption.

Under-development: Some one was saying that they no longer call us “developing countries” we are referred to as “Third World countries” because we are no longer developing.

The corruption war should be ours; know your rights and we are on fast forward to overcoming corruption. You don’t have to pay anyone to get a service really.

Obama Mania


I love me some Obama. Dude is so handsome, has maintained a jovial mood and looks so concerned about Kenya.

He said today unless Kenya acts no one is going to act on our behalf.

But do we say ODM is going to get cabinet Ministers before elections. Too much unwarranted confidence!!!


9 comments:

  1. http://kenyanjurist.blogspot.com/

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  2. Shi gal I totally agree with you we waste alot of our energy bickering over nothings than finding how we can help ourselves out and make the place a better place for all clean and transparent.
    Told you to jump over our boat but do we say..

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  3. Well written!We and the government know what the problem is but those in power are among the top corrup figures.
    After spending time with a friend who deals with land issues, I became very skeptical about investing in land in kenya when someone else could have the same title deed for the land that I had paid hard cash for!Even banks have refused title deeds as sureties!
    Obama has been indeed a ray of light!Have a good week!

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  4. For refusing to bribe the bastards at coast i feel as though i should buy you coffee but seeing thats the way corruption breeds itself (people learning to reep where they never sowed) i'll just cheer you on. Congrats and i hope your refusal made the cops rethink about corruption.

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  5. just submitted an essay on the effects of corruption in a nation state ... hope i win for i like seriously need those chumes they are going to give ... o'wise i have grown up in a country so corrupt that i do not know how it is to live in a nation that is otherwise ... heavenly bliss it must be!

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  6. been a long time..
    obama did ruffle some feathers..
    mutua came down on him really hard.
    poor dude (mutua that is..)

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  7. shiro...."kwani ulikura mbusi ya nani?"
    as kibaki would say...
    not a lame attempt to resurrect a dead horse...but i must say the piece you did on breakfast shows, really aroused emotions...
    yani we kenyans are so polarised mpaka we fight and defend shady shows and presenters..
    damn, hapo uliwaweza...

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  8. The first person to be arrested for corruption should be that Ringera man. His salary drains the economy as much as Pattni (allegedly)... Especially considering he is yet to proof why he deserves such a salary

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  9. >>>Some one was saying that they no longer call us “developing countries” we are referred to as “Third World countries

    I think we are now plain "the underdeveloped world, or notice, not countries" and if someone is being nice they might say "Sub-sahara Africa".
    Thats the new continent "Sub-sahara Africa" and if they want to be nicer they just call the continent Nigeria.

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