A critical component of law enforcement in the fight against corruption, economic crime and ethical breaches is fostering a positive national culture grounded on compliance with laid down procedures and integrity.
This would result in the creation of an integrity-driven society. Since culture is learnt, shared and an accepted way of behaviour, bad cultures are quickly learnt, shared and accepted to the detriment of societal wellbeing and long-term progress.
It is increasingly becoming clear that corruption is harmful to our individual and collective welfare. Towards this, our sense of patriotism is prodding us to discern that corruption is a national enemy. Embracing positive culture is one fundamental approach to deploy.
Largely, culture operates at two levels; material or visible and non-material or invisible. Materialism is what largely fuels corruption. The recent Kenya Youth Survey Report revelation indicts us since it reports that 30 per cent of youth in our country are material focused and not virtue driven.
Non-material level of cultures, on the other hand, comprises our values which are largely driven by individual or collective perception, attitude, motives, beliefs, ethics and standards among other factors. Towards fostering a positive national culture, it is imperative to discern the interplay between visible level of culture against the invisible level of culture.
To be able to foster a positive national culture, it is instructive to espouse positive attitudes, motives, beliefs, ethics and virtues at the individual as well as collective level. Embracing positive culture-based ethics and integrity as a nation will go a long way in enabling the country to decisively win the war against corruption and provide a better future for its citizens.
Bungoma
