It has been a week of bad publicity for Kenya following shocking revelations of procurement irregularities at the Devolution ministry.
With documents presented before the Public Accounts Committee indicating inflated costs and curious items thought to be sex toys, the international media has put the story in the context of endemic corruption in Kenya.
A story in the New York Times, for example, had the catchy headline — An anti-corruption plea in Kenya: Please just steal a little — and was widely shared online.
The BBC website and "Have Your Say" radio programme also dedicated time for discussion on corruption in Kenya while the Washington Post, Fox News and the giant Associated Press agency also looked at the subject.
Activist John Githongo told the New York Times: “We don’t have a government. We have a scandal.”
Here at home respected industrialist Manu Chandaria has warned that political feuds have placed Kenya on a self-destruction mode that is fast driving investment billions to other countries.
Dr Chandaria, speaking at the Company of the Year Awards ceremony at a Nairobi hotel on Friday night, said Kenyans were too divided to encourage any investor to set shop in the country with political utterances making it worse by the day.
“The world attention is on Kenya’s suitability as an investment destination and no one is celebrating that we have actually improved in global ratings as an investment hub. Instead, we are outdoing one another in causing violent divisions that have made the investment environment horrible,” he said.
WEEDING OUT GREED
The industrialist, who heads the family-owned Mabati Rolling Mills and Chandaria Industries, challenged Kenyans to reverse the divisions and save the country from social and economic crises, saying growing unemployment would lead to an implosion.
Dr Chandaria spoke moments before he handed over the winning trophy to Jubilee Insurance, which was declared the 2015 Coya winner.
The investor’s remarks mirrored those made by Catholic bishops hours earlier.
Speaking as they inspected the altar to be used by Pope Francis on November 26, the clerics said there was an urgent need to deal with not just the sharp, sometimes hate-spewing political tongues but also corruption that is a threat to the social fabric.
Bishop Philip Anyolo who chairs the Pope’s visit committee, warned against threats to integration.
“We must guard against reckless and irresponsible utterances that can incite communities to violence and promote respect to the laws of our country,” he said.
“We also must tackle corruption; the heightened looting from public coffers by those entrusted with public resources.”
Earlier, the Anglican Church of Kenya Archbishop Eliud Wabukala said there was need for a referendum to rid the country of greedy politicians.
BAD FOR BUSINESS
Other leaders who spoke to the Sunday Nation were of the opinion that the heated political exchanges need to be toned down for the unity of Kenyans.
Retired career civil servant Joseph Kaguthi said US President Barack Obama’s visit to Nairobi last July set off a global media blitz on Kenya’s suitability as an investment hub, which is now fast being replaced by an emerging militant political culture that painted Kenya negatively.
“This is bad for business and someone needs to tell the Jubilee-Cord leadership that selfish interests must be placed behind for business to thrive,” he said.
Laikipia Woman representative Jane Apollos called for soberness among Kenyans, saying citizens must not blindly follow their leaders from any political party as they risked causing a breakdown of law and order.
She noted that corruption could erode major gains.
“The relevant agencies must up their game and stay on course,” she said.
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