The war against graft has always been taken lightly by many Kenyans, whose assumptions have shed light on the general perception, that corruption can’t and will never be fully dealt with. President Uhuru Kenyatta made the public declaration that corruption will be fully dealt with, and anyone found guilty will be charged.
Since the handshake, leaders who pulled the punches in Jubilee and NASA have come out and declared their support for the war against graft. But how serious should Kenyans take our leaders’ stand this time around? Will more scandals be unearthed from tombs only to be dumped by the roadside or will justice be served?
The ongoing situation at the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) has shown the increasingly tough stance by the state against corruption, but we can be sure we’ve already ‘seen the tough stance’ several times, and moreover, the tough position has faded faster than smoke more than once.
After former KPLC Chief Executive Ben Chumo and others were arrested on Saturday, the tilt of focus was definitely shifted, and the tension was highlighted a bit after the MD Ken Tarus surrendered to the police on Sunday evening, as part of an operation ordered by DPP Noordin Haji, after an alleged procurement of defective transformers, which had already been paid for by KPLC despite the contract having already been terminated.
The swoop and quick stern action taken by the DPP is definitely commendable, and whether the course of justice will take its flow until the end remains to be seen. After Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong was taken to court, another view of justice was unveiled, that showed the law shouldn’t favour anyone, whether he or she is a top leader or not. That has been the problem faced in Kenya for a long time. Even when commissions are formed, the men behind the mask masquerade behind faulty justice and investigative systems and walk around scot-free in the end.
At the moment, it seems the war against graft has entered uncharted territory, after the KPLC arrests, but whether it will ultimately produce the desired results and effects remains to be seen.