The @SIDKDP policy brief can be downloaded here Why corruption prevails and what can be done to eliminate it http://bit.ly/1NOsBOA
It is not the absence of laws, agencies and policies that Kenya misses. What we miss is the moral imagination that adopts the humility to recognise not all is well and the audacity to declare a new course of action. Every time it shows up, we are left inspired and ready to act.
The true cost of corruption and impunity is not millions and billions of shillings, it is the helplessness we learn when our leaders, agencies and we do not take action in the public interest.
On June 26, 14 organisations made 12 recommendations to the Presidential Taskforce on laws related to corruption. http:// goo.gl/AdGHeC 11 of those recommendations have now been adopted in the report presented to the President. There is much that we can support in the AG’s Taskforce report http://goo.gl/qLTAV2
On November 5, ten organisations including TI-Kenya, CRECO, Mzalendo, Africog, Inuka, KCA, ICJ, SID ACAC and the Devolution Forum advised the President to sack Cabinet Secretaries and reshuffle the Cabinet, review procurement processes and press for company transparency. We also called for lifestyle audits. We gave the President 30 days. http://goo.gl/1bxN8B
17 days later on November 23 and yesterday with the refreshing of the cabinet, three of the four proposals had been taken up by the President. https://goo.gl/nGzPE8
The important lesson here is that the state listens. It may take long, it may not be recognised, but we have voice and when we act we have influence. This is the essence of democratic governance.
We may not be invited to State House to meet the Pope today. We may not be recognised in the state commendations for 2015. This may not be important right now. The only questions are whether
* We have kept the faith of integrity lived and expressed by Pope Francis? * Have we spoken and acted in the spirit of the constitution? * Have we acted with humility in the public interest?
Nothing else matters.
On December 9, we move to Central Park, join us in the park or any other space to talk to Kenyans on what actions can they take to #KataaHiyo and build #IntegrityKE
Ends.
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