CORRUPTION IN AFRICA

THE PERCEPTION OF CORRUPTION IN AFRICA

Corruption exists within all societies, albeit with varying degrees of intensity. In Africa however, concerns about corruption are amplified. The extant high levels of poverty, slow growth in economies and weaker institutional frameworks for managing public and private enterprises are argued to be a result of corruption. It is unduly believed in both the academic and policy arena that impacts of corruption on development have been felt more in Africa than in any other continent.

While poverty is on the rise in Sub-Saharan Africa, various forms of corruption threaten to undermine the impact of investment made to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the continent. Africa has been the centre of efforts to implement the (MDGs) set by the world leaders in 2000. Although countries are at different phases of development, evidence suggests that some countries are highly likely to miss the development targets by 2020 because of corruption (UN, 2012).

Many of the Sub-Saharan African countries still fare poorly on the World Bank Development Indicators (World Bank 2010, and Murphy 2010). This is attributed to the prevalence of corruption as resources meant for public projects are siphoned or diverted to private or individual projects. Murphy (2010) cites the TIs CPI released in 2010 that identifies Africa as a generally corrupt region in the world, with the sub-Sahara Africa the most corrupt and underdeveloped. Developed countries commit large sums and aid to address the plethora of the development problems hindering economic growth on the continent, but corruption remains a major obstacle to achieving the much-needed progress.

Corruption in Africa is argued by Riley (2000) to be part of a syndrome of development or underdevelopment which destroys the life chances of the poor majority and that's short-term and long-term development effects are both distrastrous.

Cox and Negi (2010) argue that weakness of the African states and correlative failures of the representative institutions explain the prevalence of corruption. The fundamental issue with African states is the failure to structurally differentiate the state from the ruling government. The perception emanating from the political ignorance views the ruling government as the state. This explains why public appointed and elected officials treat the state as a private resource which breeds corruption in the form of fraud, nepotism, bribery and embezzlement of the state resources to list a few.

Bureaucrats hang on to their positions and their legitimacy through the development of personal networks with clients, which are structured by consideration of ethnicity, kinship, and communal affiliation. They perceive themselves and are regarded by their clients as a "Big-man" in return for distribution of the resources they are able to divert to themselves through occupying the state positions.

Chabal and Daloz demonstrate that the problem of corruption in Africa is not confined to a few individuals, selected institutions or organizations as they argue that:

"Corruption is not just endemic but an integral part of the social fabric of life. For those at the bottom of the society, like the lowly civil servants, the sale of limited amount of power they possess is virtually their only means of survival. Higher up, extortion is one of the major avenues of enrichment. It facilitates the social advancement and the upholding of one’s position. It enables political elites fulfill duties to meet the expectations of their clients and hence their status" (1999: 99).

Since the beginning of the 1990s, the perception and discourse of corruption as a fundamental crisis facing contemporary Africa has become spread. Corruption has turned out to be a subject of critical magnitude of the African political and economic debates in the last part of 20th century. The destructive nature and the effects of corruption on the political systems, economic development and the states in Africa has become a broad concern of scholars and policy makers. Corruption in Africa has grown to be associated with the deep rooted crisis of economic development and political instability.

Corruption as a guarded operation is complex, and impossible to measure with certainty due to the illicit nature of transactions and imprecise definitions. Even though it is difficult to measure, estimations of the cost of corruption in Africa give a general picture of the seriousness of the problem. Figures show that in the year 2000, the African Union (AC) estimated that corruption cost African economies about forty billion dollars (US) in one year.

Message from programme officer

Mr. Vincent Omondi is a Diploma Holder in Commnity Development and Social Work from Mount Kenya University. In June 2012, he volunteered with Family Health Option Kenya as a Peer Educator. His duties were to conduct peer education activities and advocate for behavior change among youths.

In September 2010- December 2010, he worked for Precise Launderette. His duties were front office, invoicing, issuance and receipts. In August 2010, he worked for IIEC (Interim Independent Electrical Commission). His duties were clerical verification, Monitoring of votes and Votes numeration.

In August 2012- February 2013, he worked with Infotrack as Research Assistance duties conducting field work interviews, conducting focus group discussions. July 2015 worked with Inuka Africa Microfinance as a loan officer and his duties were to dispatch loans to clients and maintain portfolio of the clients’ database.

He worked as a volunteer with Touch Life in September 2016 as a fund organizer. He is currently involved in youth groups and volunteer as a program coordinator in one of the youth organization Young Achievers Network.

What he understands about Anti-Corruption is, Corruption is a form of dishonest or unethical conduct by a person entrusted with a position of authority, often to acquire personal benefit. Corruption may include many activities including bribery, and embezzlement, though it may also involve practices that are legal in many countries.

He worked as a volunteer with Touch Life in September 2016 as a fund organizer. He is currently involved in youth groups and volunteer as a program coordinator in one of the youth organization Young Achievers Network.

What he understands about Anti-Corruption is, Corruption is a form of dishonest or unethical conduct by a person entrusted with a position of authority, often to acquire personal benefit. Corruption may include many activities including bribery, and embezzlement, though it may also involve practices that are legal in many countries.

origin

From its establishment Gateway Partners has been instrumental in the fight against corruption. Its principal purpose has been to promote and support the implementation of the United Nations Convection Against Corruption (UNCAC), fostering constructive collaboration among its members in prevention, asset recovery and international cooperation.

Corruption impacts on the poor rural communities in complete and devastating ways. It distorts allocations meant for poverty alleviation, destroys democratic institutions, and entrenches poor governance and patronage politics.

Realizing the importance of reaching these communities with anti- corruption and human rights framework, Gateway Partners aim to build capacities and empower the community leaders to understand their rights, identify bribes and corrupt practices, and report wrong doing through a series of training programs. Communities targeted include CSOs, CBOs, FBOs and rural youth.

It will help increase public participation on governance issues and elevate the need to promote transparency, competence and accountability at all levels of the government. Despite the growing prominence and importance of the issue of corruption in Kenya, measures to address it has been addressed through adhoc and inconsistent means on attention given on high profile exposes or high profile only.

EACC LEADERS