This archive report was first published on 23 October 2019.
On October 23, 2019, the American government made a significant pledge to help Kenya combat corruption, a move that is quite reassuring.
Corruption is a major impediment to Kenya's growth, and it runs deep. To effectively combat it, the US and other nations should institute concrete measures such as helping Kenya track down stolen wealth stashed in foreign capitals and repatriate it.
Sharing information about the corrupt with investigative authorities is equally important. This would enable Kenya to take action against those who have stolen from the public and are enjoying their ill-gotten wealth abroad.
US Ambassador to Kenya Kyle McCarter's undertaking to deny visas to corrupt individuals and their families is a step in the right direction. Other countries should follow suit, ostracizing and humiliating the corrupt, and putting them through psychological torture.
The entry of Western nations in fighting corruption is crucial. A lot of wealth stolen in Kenya is kept abroad, and most corrupt individuals have accomplices in foreign capitals. They have offshore companies and bank accounts through which they move illicit cash.
For instance, when the Kimwarer and Arror dam scandals hit the country a few months ago, it was discovered that the deals had been cut in faraway Italy. Last year, the National Bureau of Economic Research reported that wealthy Kenyans had kept some Sh5 trillion abroad, the bulk of it proceeds of corruption.
Most of those who keep their cash abroad do so because the source may not be legitimate, seek to evade taxes, or engage in dubious transborder transactions. Whichever the case, they must be reined in. They are economic criminals who should be punished.
A few countries, such as Britain and Switzerland, have entered into deals with Kenya to identify and seize stolen cash and other assets stashed in their backyards and send them back to Nairobi. If more of such happened, the country would net in tidy sums and find itself in good stead to meet budgetary obligations.
