Procurement undoubtedly provides a very ample platform for corruption through kickbacks, inflated tenders and nepotism writ large. However, our biggest problem may not be procurement but our rotten moral fabric. Still, something must be done and seen to be done and procurement is one of many target areas.
Kenya has many anti-corruption laws and policies, including the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission Act and the Anti- Corruption and Economic Crimes Act.
The institutional frameworks to fight graft are innumerable but the vice flourishes. There are many corruption audit reports that we have lacked the will to implement for a long time.
We need to ask what happened to all those reports pointing to corruption in many government offices. Will the much-hyped vetting form part of the statistics, like past audit reports?
Procurement officers should not be the only cadre targetted because the corruption conveyor belt is wide; the Executive chain, the Legislature and the Judiciary must be scrutinised.
Further, procurement officers don’t commit corruption alone, most of them are under instruction from their bosses at the apex of their ministry or agency. The anti-corruption radar should be aimed at their bosses if we are to achieve anything in the fight.
Fresh vetting should extend to all PSs and CSs to slay the dragon. For corruption to be executed there must be concurrence between the small procurement fish and the whales (Cabinet and Principal Secretaries).
We must not lose focus on the big fish because if bypassed, they are always too strong and will compromise a procurement officer who wants to operate aboveboard.
The purge should not overlook the Legislature, from the secretariat to MPs themselves. Lawmakers wield a lot of powers through their parliamentary committees.
They often abuse it during important vetting and committee enquiries into corruption. Although the Judiciary adjudicates and convicts based on the strength of evidence, some judicial officers have abused their discretionary powers when ruling in many corruption and integrity cases. The corruption conveyor belt includes the Judiciary and it too must be scrutinised.
The political scientist spoke to the Star
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