Until Kenyans get angry & tired, nothing will happen.

Until we call it theft and not corruption, nothing will happen.

Until we name and shame the thieves, nothing will happen.

Until we discipline these thieves on the streets the same way we discipline phone thieves on this streets nothing will happen. Forget the courts, they are incapable, unwilling or deeply compromised. They are part of the problem.

Get tired Kenyans!

When Kenya was governed under a centralised system, grand corruption was a distant affair that benefited a limited circle of individuals.

A farmer could not conceive how he or she would ever get a kickback in the circle of corruption, until devolution.

When county officials divert public finances to their pockets, much of that money remains within the county economy.

It can be used to finance household expenses, education and health costs, as well as generally improve the quality of life of the corrupt individual and those in their circle.

Diverted public monies also become investment funds, where corrupt individuals suddenly have cash that can be directed to business activity.

I have travelled in counties where I have been openly told that this building or that business belongs to a government official.

This government official did not have these assets before, but suddenly they are serious financiers in the county.

And interestingly, these facts are not shared with a tone of bitterness or annoyance, there almost seems to be an appreciation that even if public monies are being stolen, at least they are benefiting the local economy.

After all, businesses are being financed, people are being employed to run and manage them and suddenly there is a new source of income for many.

This is not a justification of corruption, but rather an exploration of how it is evolving.

We seem to have moved on from the days when loot was sequestered in accounts in distant capitals of Europe and North America.

Now when public money is stolen, much of it sticks around.

How will this inform the fight against corruption?

How do strategies that seek to address corruption need to be updated to become relevant again?

These are questions for us all.

Many years ago Amerika used to be as corrupt as Kenia, if not more. But, being practical fellows, they realised they couldn't fight it, plus corruption has some benefits (more efficient allocation of resources, for one, like the economist above seems to be saying). So they decided to sanitize corruption and this way make it socially acceptable. You now know it as lobbying, facilitation, commission, finders fee, tip, appreciation etc etc. This created an efficient corruption market that largely forced the unit price down, so much that hardly anyone notices.

Is there a lesson for us here?

If it is acceptable to tip the waiter, then it should be ok to tip the guy who gave you a multi-million shilling contract.

Lets put a face to the thieves

1. Caroline Ajow Atieno Mango (unconfirmed reports she is a senior Police officer based in Gigiri.)

2. Briana Sally Ajow

3. Ian Robert Ajow

4. Peris Anyango Ajow

They are the directors of

Maanti Logistics
Carrotexx supplies
Jupecar garments
Pejows Agencies
Sallijow enterprises
Iantex enterprises

Also it is interesting how corruption is reported. Initially the PS in charge of NYS was reported as being Ms Lilian Omollo or Ms Omollo. Her name later evolved to Lilian Mbogo Omollo and now she is being referred to as Lilian Mbogo or simply Ms Mbogo. Is the evolution of the name engineered to pass a certain narrative?

Reminds me of the time wetangula was beaten by his wife. The wife's name as reported in the media evolved from Mrs Ann Wetangula, then to Ann Waceke Ngugi Wetangula and finally to Ann Waceke, Ms Waceke and Ms Ngugi.