In a normal society, public office is an opportunity to serve fellow citizens, to be a servant leader.
But Kenya's case is peculiar. Corruption is the norm rather than the exception.
Here public office too often is seen as a grand opportunity for pay, power and prestige, a chance to hobnob with the rich and powerful. Service is secondary.
The public has come to expect business as usual no matter who is appointed to what post. The soaring rhetoric of a fresh start — and a crackdown on corruption — that accompanies law enforcement appointments is usually greeted with a yawn of cynicism, a shrug.
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The much talked about — but little heeded — Chapter Six of the Constitution on leadership and integrity defines public authority as a responsibility to serve the people, rather than the power to rule them.
But exercise of public office is often notorious for impunity. I have the money, the power and the connections uta-do?
That’s why the fight against corruption and all other forms of criminality has for a long time targeted the small fish.
Kenya’s prisons are bursting at the seams with mostly petty offenders, while the real looters gorge themselves on the fat of the land unperturbed.
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The big fish are untouchable. Their files disappear or are never acted upon. Anyone attempting to investigate could disappear if they are not bought off. While everyone can see clearly the criminals, there is no way to hold them to account. Witnesses might recant their testimony, or turn up dead.
This dismal state of affairs has made the new Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti and the Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji stand out this year.
For the first time, Kenyans have seen highly influential people hauled before the courts since Kinoti took office in January and Haji in March.
The fearless duo’s sense of purpose has raised the hopes of a nation.
The zeal with which Kinoti and Haji seized their mandates contrasts sharply with the approach of their predecessors. Files gathered dust, investigations took a long time and often were shoddy. Many cases were less than water-tight, leading to acquittals.
Clearly, Haji and Kinoti are men on a mission to clean up the rot in governance. Their commitment, if sustained, could raise the bar and redefine public service.
The huge challenge, of course, remains securing convictions and recovering stolen public money. Big thieves are very powerful.
The public is impatient. Expectations are high. But delivering justice requires more than the herculean efforts of Kinoti and alone. The other actors in this process, the Judiciary and the public, must play their parts.
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On Jamhuri Day, President Kenyatta conferred on Kinoti and Haji the awards of Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear for distinguished service.
That honour is well-deserved.
Now let them spear the big fish.
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