We all woke up these past few days to the words NYS SCANDAL, Waiguru and Kabura the Millionaire Hairdresser. Even ordinary mwananchi can use the word affidavit in their daily conversations but everyone is wondering, why now?

It all started a few months ago when one opposition leader claimed that the country had lost a few billions, just Kshs. 147B to non-existent projects and even for the few that saw the light of the day, they had inflated costs and prices. There was also that small story of them buying a TV for a paltry, Kshs 400,000 but that is neither here nor there. You have heard this phrase maybe once or twice before, “Uhuru si mbaya. Wale watu wanamzunguka ndio wabaya,” which loosely translates to Uhuru is an able leader surrounded by idiots. This raises several issues chief among them being why are they still surrounding him if he actually didn’t want them there?

Then there is that argument that electing rich leaders will actually make Kenya less corrupt because, as the voters say, they have enough money. Though persuasive, the argument holds no water. Actually with our billionaire president we have mega corruption cases never seen in this nation before. It is a sad story. Sad thing is no one seems able, or willing, to fight this vice.

The corruption story in the country always has been set like a movie which always starts with allegations of corruption by opposition leaders who will be asked to shut up and watch and learn how the country is being managed as they wait for their chance to mismanage and eat. Deny deny deny and deny some more.

This often is followed by admission of loss of money, which is always lower than the amount mentioned by the opposition, months or days later and this is where a junior officer in government or a computer error is blamed. Or even Satan. The junior officer will be charged and prosecuted in a court of law, a case that may take forever. Many claim the case takes that long to allow for perpetrators of these acts to move their loot. Who listens to such ignorant people?

The soap opera always rumbles on and on and on as more Kenyans forget that scandal and register a new one. The President meanwhile may form a tribunal/commission of inquiry or call an audit by private firms, a move usually done to seal all loopholes and cleanse the perpetrator. No money is ever recovered. One thing we have learnt is to accept everything thrown to us and move on, and pray for God to save us as we wait the next elections to vote for the same thieving politicians and then cry for the next half decade.

We never learn but then again, do we have any option when it comes to electing people to political offices? No. Not many. Elections are an expensive affair and only the thieving few can afford it and when in office their main aim is usually steal, plunder and mismanage public funds in order to replace the amounts used to bribe the electorate. It is a scary affair.

I know many will disagree with my declaration that all politicians are corrupt but I assure you we can start arresting a politician a day for the next ten years. Even if don’t know the reason, they know. Stay corruption-free, won’t you?

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