This archive report was first published on 8 August 2020.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage Kenya, killing almost 400 people and crippling large sections of the economy, a recent scandal has emerged that highlights the Jubilee administration's lack of moral authority to govern.
According to news reports, a number of well-connected individuals formed briefcase companies with the express purpose of getting COVID-19-related contracts to supply personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks, then proceeded to engage in price gauging.
A company that was barely three months old was awarded a multi-billion-shilling contract, sparking outrage and calls for investigation and prosecution.
While the particular individuals involved should be held accountable, this emerging scandal is an indictment of President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration, which has proven time and again that public finance management is not its forte.
As the pandemic continues to claim lives and devastate the economy, it is clear that the Jubilee administration's priorities are misplaced, and that its actions are driven by a desire to enrich themselves and their allies, rather than to protect the public.
As one commentator noted, 'You are better off raising private resources to fight this virus.'
But for millions of Kenyans, the reality is far from that. Schools are closed, parents are left to fend for themselves, and the economy is in shambles.
It is a stark reminder of the corruption and elite incompetence that has come to define this administration, and the human cost of their actions will only continue to rise.
As the writer of this article noted, 'Our corruption is of a very ruinous kind. And it will most certainly get worse.'
Published on August 8, 2020, in The Standard.
