From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Sat Aug 08 2009 - 00:22:17 EDT
Kenya among 20 most corrupt countries
Published on 10/03/2009
By Susan Anyangu
Kenya is among the 20 most corrupt countries in the world the national
corruption opinion poll shows.
The poll released yesterday by Transparency International-Kenya also
indicates that Kenya is ranked at the same level with several failed
states and those emerging from civil wars.
"Kenya's rating is poor and we are among the most corrupt countries.
Kenya is also rated closely with failed states like the Democratic
Republic of Congo and those emerging from war like Liberia," said Mwangi
Kibathi, a programme officer at TI-Kenya.
TI chairperson Huguette Labelle said Kenya's performance on fighting
graft sits at 2.1 out of ten.
"While there have been notable gains in economic growth, persistent
poverty in Kenya, one of Africa's biggest economies - remains a major
challenge as inequality continues to erode trust," she said.
Ms Labelle said poor public resource management, lack of accountability
and general weaknesses in institutions impede Vision 2030.
"For any development plan to be realised, strong and transparent
leadership is required. Transparency is crucial. Information on
decisions taken should be available to the public," she said.
Strong institutions
She said Kenya needs strong institutions of governance with independence
and capability to exercise their mandate.
"Anti-corruption plays a significant role in sustaining economic growth.
People invest in countries with stability, peace and strong
institutions. The justice system must also work," she said.
She urged the Government to speed up constitutional reform, which she
said is the foundation for strong institutions.
"From the survey, it is clear that Kenyans strongly support
constitutional reforms. We look forward to Kenya establishing a
constitutional order that allows for separation of powers,
accountability, good financial management and independent institutions,"
Labelle said.
While acknowledging that Kenya is not the only country plagued by
corruption, Labelle said levels of graft and the consequent increase in
the level of poverty was of great concern.
Fading confidence
She said increased corruption erodes the electorates' trust in
leadership.
Recently, the media have reported on maize and oil scandals, which have
been said to cost the public more than Sh10 billion.
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