The structure of Kenyan society is analyzed according to how it favours corruption and how this might be broken up by the intervention of the powers of the international civil society. There is growing consensus that the underlying cause for Africa's underdevelopment is a crisis of governance (Wanyama, 2002: 2), rather than the colonial heritage. Also for Kenya a lack of good governance is seen as one of the major causes of the slow pace of human development or even its decline, as in the 1980s and 1990s (UNDP, 2003: XIII). The Kenyan Human Development Index (HDI) - a composite of the indices of education attainment, life expectancy and standard of living – rose steady between 1975 and 1990 but then started to decline. The late 70s and early 80s saw not only a reasonable provision of basic services but also a quite good economic performance. The downward trend in the 90s was due to the non-growing economy, less access to basic services, corruption and an increased vulnerability of the population (UNDP, 2003: 9). Corruption is named as the most prominent factor of the problem as it endangers the success of any economic reforms already from the roots. Also authoritarian government is a decisive co-variable increasing the risks for development, as the political context already is a major obstacle for any project (Ake, 1996). This is valid not only for economical projects but also for those aiming at improving the human rights situation and strengthening democracy. This effect became also visible in Kenya in various electoral situations. Instead of strengthening the democratic climate the ruling factions relied on stirring up tribal rivalries, bringing about more division, hostility and intolerance to their nations instead of political progress (Nyong'o, 2002). The corrupt and authoritarian rule also results in unfair distribution of the resources available inside the country as well as of those obtained from the international community. The ruling elites are mainly interested only to secure their position by bringing their followers into the state-service and also foster their private wealth. So the bureaucracy is extending tremendously and also the funds are channeled outside the countries to private accounts. Additionally many development projects are just designed to satisfy certain groups like tribes or regions, but are not really useful in the overall context of the country. [...]
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Research Question and Hypotheses
2 Theoretical framework
2.1 Civil society
2.1.1 Global civil society
2.2 Understanding Corruption
2.2.1 Corruption and the justice system
2.2.2 Corruption and the party-system
2.2.3 Corruption in the education, health Sector and other public sectors
2.2.4 Corruption and globalization
2.3 Governance
2.3.1 General definition
2.3.2 Governance in developing countries
2.3.3 Good Governance
2.3.4 Global Governance
2.3.5 National responses
2.3.6 Providers of global governance
3 Casestudy: Kenya
3.1 Colonial times
3.2 Ethnic divisions
3.3 Civil society and community based organizations
3.4 The era of Kenyatta
3.4.1 Colonial heritage
3.4.2 Party politics
3.4.3 CBOS and civil society
3.4.4 The economy
3.5 The era of Moi
3.5.1 The shaping of power
3.5.2 Party politics
3.5.3 The economy
3.5.4 CBOs and civil society in the 80s
3.5.5 The late 80s: civil society on the rise
3.5.6 Before the elections of 1992
3.5.7 The elections of 1992
3.5.8 CBOs and civil society between 1992 and 1997
3.5.9 The growing consciousness on corruption
3.5.10 Before the elections of 1997
3.5.11 The elections of 1997
3.5.12 The post-1997 period
3.6 The era of Kibaki
3.6.1 Ethnic divisions
3.6.2 The fight against corruption
3.7 Summary
4 Resume
5 Appendix
5.1 Abbreviations
5.2 References
Objectives & Themes
This study aims to investigate the complex nature of corruption within Kenyan society and evaluates the potential role of international civil society actors in influencing and mitigating these patterns of governance failure.
- The impact of governance crises on human development in Kenya.
- The role of civil society and community-based organizations in the political landscape.
- Historical evolution of corruption during the Kenyatta, Moi, and Kibaki administrations.
- Mechanisms of political patronage, ethnic divisions, and their link to state resource allocation.
- The effectiveness of international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) in fighting corruption.
Excerpt from the Book
The administrative facet of corruption
By law, public service is expected to be efficient, impartial and to act with integrity. The United Nations Committee on Human Development and Civil Society (UNCHDCS) notes that historically, the politicization of the African public service has been an impediment to ethics, diluted professionalism and generated mediocrity (UNCHDCS, 2003). Evidence from Kenya highlights the fact that the public service has been undermined by patronage, partiality and political interference in decision making as well as alleged irregular recruitment, appointments and promotion service. For instance, the recruitment of officers in the police force and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is alleged to have been based on tribalism, nepotism and favouritism without regard for the rule of law. As the East African Standard (EAS) reported in 2005, revelations of corruption in the recruitment of KWS staff led to cancellation of the exercise and suspension of the director, and the recruitment of police officers was cancelled and repeated after some months under a lot of scrutiny (EAS, 2005)
Such instances of irregular and improper appointments of incompetent and unqualified people have undermined service delivery in local authorities in Kenya. Another problem is that of “ghost workers”. Fraudulent officials in the Nairobi City Council were alleged to have kept at least 4000 retired, deceased or even non-existent staff on the payroll and pocketed their salaries (BBC, 2003). Further nvestigative work by the BBC revealed that this phenomenon of imaginary workers is by no means confined to Kenya. In 2003, the main Zambian civil servants union called for a crackdown on what it said were more than 20,000 ghost workers contributing to a budget over-run of 600billion Kwacha ($132m). Similarly, the Nigerian civil service almost ground to a halt in 2003 in search of ghost workers, only for them to reappear in the books shortly thereafter (BBC, 2003).
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides an overview of the governance crisis in Africa and highlights corruption as a fundamental barrier to development in Kenya.
2 Theoretical framework: Defines the concepts of civil society, corruption, and governance, establishing the academic basis for the analysis of international interference.
3 Casestudy: Kenya: Details the historical evolution of the Kenyan political landscape from colonial times through the eras of Kenyatta, Moi, and Kibaki, focusing on corruption and ethnic patronage.
4 Resume: Concludes that while global civil society can supplement national efforts, sustainable reform requires internal accountability and non-temporary monitoring.
5 Appendix: Provides a comprehensive list of abbreviations and bibliographic references used throughout the study.
Keywords
Kenya, Corruption, Governance, Civil Society, Patronage, Ethnic Divisions, Kenyatta, Moi, Kibaki, Human Development, NGOs, Political Reform, Accountability, Goldenberg Scandal, Anglo-Leasing Scandal
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this study?
The study examines the structural nature of corruption in Kenya and the influence of international civil society and non-governmental organizations on the country's governance.
What are the primary themes addressed in this work?
The themes include the historical impact of colonial structures on modern governance, the persistence of ethnic-based patronage, the role of community-based organizations, and the efficacy of international anti-corruption initiatives.
What is the primary research goal?
The objective is to clarify how corruption is embedded in Kenyan society and to assess whether international civil society actors can effectively mitigate these challenges.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The research uses a qualitative case study approach, analyzing secondary literature, index reports from organizations like Transparency International, and historical political developments in Kenya.
What is covered in the main body of the text?
The main body examines the evolution of corruption through three distinct political eras in Kenya, analyzes the administrative and economic facets of graft, and explores the influence of the donor community.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
The most important keywords include Kenya, corruption, patronage, civil society, governance, and ethnic divisions.
How did political patronage evolve in Kenya across the different presidential eras?
Patronage shifted from Kenyatta's personal centralist model to Moi's authoritative control of state resources, and persisted through Kibaki's term, often utilizing tribal affiliations to distribute or deny public resources.
What role did the "Harambee" system play in Kenya?
Originally a community-led development strategy, the Harambee system became increasingly institutionalized and politicized, eventually functioning as an instrument of patronage and a source of potential mismanagement.
What does the study conclude regarding the success of anti-corruption bodies in Kenya?
The study concludes that these bodies, such as KACA or KACC, have largely struggled due to a lack of genuine political will, lack of prosecution power, and institutional vulnerability to interference.
- Citation du texte
- Diplompolitologe Jürgen Schröder (Auteur), 2009, The face of corruption in Kenya and the possible power of international civil society interference, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/134343
