35 million and he is still on the job!!!

[Georgesoros]

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Corruption is rampant in Kenya. His superiors didnt know that he is this corrupt?
http://www.jambonewspot.com/police-officer-with-a-sh45000-salary-has-sh35m-m-pesa-transfers-a-year/

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

Kyalo is a mere hard working sergeant.  What would you hazard he would accept to hypothetically give up sergeant and take up the position of Inspector General with less salary than he makes?  More kickbacks to look the other way perhaps? 

[Empedocles]

Corruption is rampant in Kenya. His superiors didnt know that he is this corrupt?
http://www.jambonewspot.com/police-officer-with-a-sh45000-salary-has-sh35m-m-pesa-transfers-a-year/

Three things stand out:

1. Corruption (as you correctly mention).

2. No interest whatsoever from the investigators to follow the money trail.

3. MPesa and our banks facilitating the massive corruption (no KYC at all).

Anyway, none of this is surprising where i.e. Kidero has close to 1b ($10m) in cash in his bank accounts.

[Georgesoros]

This is easy money that can be followed. How come prosecutors have no interest?

Corruption is rampant in Kenya. His superiors didnt know that he is this corrupt?
http://www.jambonewspot.com/police-officer-with-a-sh45000-salary-has-sh35m-m-pesa-transfers-a-year/

Three things stand out:

1. Corruption (as you correctly mention).

2. No interest whatsoever from the investigators to follow the money trail.

3. MPesa and our banks facilitating the massive corruption (no KYC at all).

Anyway, none of this is surprising where i.e. Kidero has close to 1b ($10m) in cash in his bank accounts.

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

This is easy money that can be followed. How come prosecutors have no interest?

Corruption is rampant in Kenya. His superiors didnt know that he is this corrupt?
http://www.jambonewspot.com/police-officer-with-a-sh45000-salary-has-sh35m-m-pesa-transfers-a-year/

Three things stand out:

1. Corruption (as you correctly mention).

2. No interest whatsoever from the investigators to follow the money trail.

3. MPesa and our banks facilitating the massive corruption (no KYC at all).

Anyway, none of this is surprising where i.e. Kidero has close to 1b ($10m) in cash in his bank accounts.

Usually it would be EACC to show some interest.  Normally after an outcry of some sort.  They summon and grill.  It should be easy to lock this guy up, because he probably doesn't have enough to bribe them.  But we are dealing with dysfunction on a whole nother level.

[MOON Ki]

Usually it would be EACC to show some interest.  Normally after an outcry of some sort.  They summon and grill.  It should be easy to lock this guy up, because he probably doesn't have enough to bribe them.  But we are dealing with dysfunction on a whole nother level.

The failure to take real  action---the worst that happens is that the fellows get sent home---actually encourages the vice; it tells the perps that they better make some real money before they get caught.     As for an "outcry", there seems to be none coming: the Kenyan public appears to have accepted this sort of thing as the norm, and, going by readers' comments in the dailies, jokes are as much as one may expect.   

[Empedocles]

Usually it would be EACC to show some interest.  Normally after an outcry of some sort.  They summon and grill.  It should be easy to lock this guy up, because he probably doesn't have enough to bribe them.  But we are dealing with dysfunction on a whole nother level.

The dysfunction is much worse.

Example: a senior government official earning a maximum of let's say, 200k per month is taken to court over corruption proceedings.

Said accused arrives at the courts driving a VX, probably with a luxury chase car stuffed with bodyguards/aides, said accused wearing an expensive Italian suit and shoes, golden Rolex gleaming in the sunlight etc. accompanied by hotshot lawyers from one of the biggest and most expensive law firms in the country.

Nobody notices anything out of the ordinary.

[Real P]

Corruption is rampant in Kenya. His superiors didnt know that he is this corrupt?
http://www.jambonewspot.com/police-officer-with-a-sh45000-salary-has-sh35m-m-pesa-transfers-a-year/

Not so surprising to be honest, our current systems breed corruption by empowering the fraudulent and dishonest.

[Georgesoros]

Its prosecutors not doing their job, and yet they get paid good money.

Usually it would be EACC to show some interest.  Normally after an outcry of some sort.  They summon and grill.  It should be easy to lock this guy up, because he probably doesn't have enough to bribe them.  But we are dealing with dysfunction on a whole nother level.

The dysfunction is much worse.

Example: a senior government official earning a maximum of let's say, 200k per month is taken to court over corruption proceedings.

Said accused arrives at the courts driving a VX, probably with a luxury chase car stuffed with bodyguards/aides, said accused wearing an expensive Italian suit and shoes, golden Rolex gleaming in the sunlight etc. accompanied by hotshot lawyers from one of the biggest and most expensive law firms in the country.

Nobody notices anything out of the ordinary.

[Empedocles]

Its prosecutors not doing their job, and yet they get paid good money.

My point was, everybody's facilitating corruption:

1. Family members (s/he's doing "good").
2. The banks.
3. Suppliers / private companies looking for business.
4. Government institutions.
5. Desperate voters re-electing / praising big shot corruption kingpins.
6. Etc.

The prosecutors, even if they were foolish enough to try, would see their hard work go down the drain once the judges are bribed / witnesses are shot by corrupt guns-for-hire / they're fired, demoted, transferred / etc..

The only person who could do something is the PORK, but since all his family / closest friends / associates are deeply involved, it's a hopeless task.

Bringing in Raila as PORK would be absolutely useless also, for the exact same reasons.

Note: a few years back, before the 2007 elections, I witnessed a meeting of some big shot who wanted to run for parliament. The negotiations which took place regarding what his sponsors would "get to eat" once he won was quite an eyeopener.

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

Its prosecutors not doing their job, and yet they get paid good money.

My point was, everybody's facilitating corruption:

1. Family members (s/he's doing "good").
2. The banks.
3. Suppliers / private companies looking for business.
4. Government institutions.
5. Desperate voters re-electing / praising big shot corruption kingpins.
6. Etc.

The prosecutors, even if they were foolish enough to try, would see their hard work go down the drain once the judges are bribed / witnesses are shot by corrupt guns-for-hire / they're fired, demoted, transferred / etc..

The only person who could do something is the PORK, but since all his family / closest friends / associates are deeply involved, it's a hopeless task.

Bringing in Raila as PORK would be absolutely useless also, for the exact same reasons.

Note: a few years back, before the 2007 elections, I witnessed a meeting of some big shot who wanted to run for parliament. The negotiations which took place regarding what his sponsors would "get to eat" once he won was quite an eyeopener.

After more than a decade experimenting, we should have long realized the problem has never been about institutions.  Because Kenya has more institutions "dedicated" to fight corruption than your typical first world country; most of these just have some division of police to deal with fraud.

It's the culture.  And the current political alternatives are invested in this culture.  When they leave, their spawn will take over and continue from where they left.  All the while paying lip service to fighting the vice; for instance the hustler has been very vocal against corruption in recent days.

[RV Pundit]

This for me is worst corruption...more than some random dude stealing 1B at go.This  is now endemic problem that affect millions of people day in and day & require drastic actions.The best solution for me is to figure out how to stop this from happening. I bet if we used  technology like cctv cameras, instant fines and really simplifies the traffic rules..otherwise firing and jailing these guys won't be much helpful.

Secondly we need a body charged with recovery proceeds from illegal activities including corruption.

[Empedocles]

This for me is worst corruption...more than some random dude stealing 1B at go.This  is now endemic problem that affect millions of people day in and day & require drastic actions.The best solution for me is to figure out how to stop this from happening. I bet if we used  technology like cctv cameras, instant fines and really simplifies the traffic rules..otherwise firing and jailing these guys won't be much helpful.

Secondly we need a body charged with recovery proceeds from illegal activities including corruption.

Getting rid of the incentives which drives most Kenyans to corruption/crime.

Fixing the economy (industrialization) would be a good idea.

Otherwise things will have to get worse i.e. more and more taxes/loans/Eurobonds so as to barely raise enough money to monitor, pay the cops, and keep in jail the 10s of thousands of youth who keep on pouring into the streets each year after school with zero prospects of making any kind of living. Sooner rather than later, the bough will break.

[Georgesoros]

Soon you'll see money pouring into Tanzania because they are reforming govt to work for the regular guy. These guys actually jail big fish for being corrupt.
I wish I had a way I can invest there.
Kenya is too expensive, and corruption makes it even more expensive.

[hk]

Kenya now has an ecitizen system it would be very simple for the government to implement an efine system where one can pay the fine electronically instantly or a grace period of a month is given. And only the people who protest would be taken to traffic court. Adding more bureaucracy like the ntsa is just another layer for corruption that's being created. When the registration of companies was digitised it reduced corruption in the registrar office. The same thing with the lands department. The itax despite the clumsy rollout and over pricing has helped a great deal to reduce corruption in kra and the funny auditors who acted as go between. So basically the solution for me is less bureaucracy and technology.

[RV Pundit]

Precisely. One thing they should do is to make traffic offense bailable by default. Cops locking up people is greatest motivator for paying bribes. I know now cops can give you a free bail if you live 30kms from the court....which is good start..but we need option for instant fines..at about the same price as cop bribe. If cops are going to ask you for 500shs for this..then fine should be there...if they ask 50bob..then fine should be 50bob..payable via MPESA...so folks really have no need to bribe cops.

Folks should only appear in criminal court for real crimes..such as drunk driving or careless driving leading to injury.

Kenya now has an ecitizen system it would be very simple for the government to implement an efine system where one can pay the fine electronically instantly or a grace period of a month is given. And only the people who protest would be taken to traffic court. Adding more bureaucracy like the ntsa is just another layer for corruption that's being created. When the registration of companies was digitised it reduced corruption in the registrar office. The same thing with the lands department. The itax despite the clumsy rollout and over pricing has helped a great deal to reduce corruption in kra and the funny auditors who acted as go between. So basically the solution for me is less bureaucracy and technology.

[MOON Ki]

Kenya now has an ecitizen system it would be very simple for the government to implement an efine system where one can pay the fine electronically instantly or a grace period of a month is given. And only the people who protest would be taken to traffic court.

Technology will never make up for a deficit in morals, unless we get to the point where the technology totally removes the human element.   In order for there to be a fine to be paid, first a determination that ones needs to pay a fine will be done by a person (e.g. a copper).    That is the point at which the element of corruption comes in: "give me x shillings, which will be less than your e-fine or court fine".   

When the registration of companies was digitised it reduced corruption in the registrar office. The same thing with the lands department.

The differences with these cases is that  the provision of services are centralized to just one or two places, and technology can therefore have a reasonable effect.   That is quite different from the case of hundreds of  coppers on the roads and wherever.

I bet if we used  technology like cctv cameras, instant fines and really simplifies the traffic rules..

And why would they not just conduct business away from the cameras?   It is not possible to have CCTV cameras in all the places where coppers could be.    Nor is the problem that traffic rules are too complicated; however simple they are, someone will break them and some corrupt copper will want to eat from that.

If cops are going to ask you for 500shs for this..then fine should be there...if they ask 50bob..then fine should be 50bob..payable via MPESA...so folks really have no need to bribe cops.

The problem there is that bribes are not a standardized scale, and fines cannot be set and changed arbitrarily.   Once the fines are set, the coppers simply ask for less than that.   

[RV Pundit]

The idea is to remove the human element as much as possible. If serves no purpose except to exhort bribes. Force all drivers to have modern number plates linked with bank or phone records. Try speed cameras that automatically track those overspeeding and send them tickets. These things have been done elsewhere. Force police men to wear cameras and videos streams...before making an stop or arrest..otherwise it becomes null and void. Technology if correctly deployed can reduce this bottleneck on our roads by a huge margin.

The idea is to reduce traffic police corruption which is endemic and systemic - a cost of doing business for everyone in this country.

This corruption for me is more dangerous than those big scandals like NYS.

Kenya now has an ecitizen system it would be very simple for the government to implement an efine system where one can pay the fine electronically instantly or a grace period of a month is given. And only the people who protest would be taken to traffic court.

Technology will never make up for a deficit in morals, unless we get to the point where the technology totally removes the human element.   In order for there to be a fine to be paid, first a determination that ones needs to pay a fine will be done by a person (e.g. a copper).    That is the point at which the element of corruption comes in: "give me x shillings, which will be less than your e-fine or court fine".   

When the registration of companies was digitised it reduced corruption in the registrar office. The same thing with the lands department.

The differences with these cases is that  the provision of services are centralized to just one or two places, and technology can therefore have a reasonable effect.   That is quite different from the case of hundreds of  coppers on the roads and wherever.

I bet if we used  technology like cctv cameras, instant fines and really simplifies the traffic rules..

And why would they not just conduct business away from the cameras?   It is not possible to have CCTV cameras in all the places where coppers could be.    Nor is the problem that traffic rules are too complicated; however simple they are, someone will break them and some corrupt copper will want to eat from that.

If cops are going to ask you for 500shs for this..then fine should be there...if they ask 50bob..then fine should be 50bob..payable via MPESA...so folks really have no need to bribe cops.

The problem there is that bribes are not a standardized scale, and fines cannot be set and changed arbitrarily.   Once the fines are set, the coppers simply ask for less than that.   

[Georgesoros]

Excellent ideas that are generated here, but they die here.
These technocrats know all these technologies, but they will lose their income if these are implemented. But if you had someone who is really for govt reform, these ideas will be implemented within a month.
MPesa revolutionalized the nation, tech can revolutionalize corruption.

The idea is to remove the human element as much as possible. If serves no purpose except to exhort bribes. Force all drivers to have modern number plates linked with bank or phone records. Try speed cameras that automatically track those overspeeding and send them tickets. These things have been done elsewhere. Force police men to wear cameras and videos streams...before making an stop or arrest..otherwise it becomes null and void. Technology if correctly deployed can reduce this bottleneck on our roads by a huge margin.

The idea is to reduce traffic police corruption which is endemic and systemic - a cost of doing business for everyone in this country.

This corruption for me is more dangerous than those big scandals like NYS.

Kenya now has an ecitizen system it would be very simple for the government to implement an efine system where one can pay the fine electronically instantly or a grace period of a month is given. And only the people who protest would be taken to traffic court.

Technology will never make up for a deficit in morals, unless we get to the point where the technology totally removes the human element.   In order for there to be a fine to be paid, first a determination that ones needs to pay a fine will be done by a person (e.g. a copper).    That is the point at which the element of corruption comes in: "give me x shillings, which will be less than your e-fine or court fine".   

When the registration of companies was digitised it reduced corruption in the registrar office. The same thing with the lands department.

The differences with these cases is that  the provision of services are centralized to just one or two places, and technology can therefore have a reasonable effect.   That is quite different from the case of hundreds of  coppers on the roads and wherever.

I bet if we used  technology like cctv cameras, instant fines and really simplifies the traffic rules..

And why would they not just conduct business away from the cameras?   It is not possible to have CCTV cameras in all the places where coppers could be.    Nor is the problem that traffic rules are too complicated; however simple they are, someone will break them and some corrupt copper will want to eat from that.

If cops are going to ask you for 500shs for this..then fine should be there...if they ask 50bob..then fine should be 50bob..payable via MPESA...so folks really have no need to bribe cops.

The problem there is that bribes are not a standardized scale, and fines cannot be set and changed arbitrarily.   Once the fines are set, the coppers simply ask for less than that.   

[MOON Ki]

Try speed cameras that automatically track those overspeeding and send them tickets. These things have been done elsewhere. Force police men to wear cameras and videos streams...before making an stop or arrest..otherwise it becomes null and void.

It is not possible to put "speed cameras" on every possible road where speeding is possible---even in the Elsewhere, and much less in a place like Kenya.   What's more, such a camera does not, even in Elsewhere, mean that a copper cannot stop a speeding person.    I don't know how wearing "cameras and videos streams" would help in such a case.   What would they show if a copper stopped a speeding car?   And, whatever the case, what would stop a copper from claiming that he forgot to turn on his gizmo, or that the batteries had failed, or whatever?

Even with all the cameras (worn and otherwise) rolling, bribes can still be arranged in other ways.   As it is, the coppers are already ahead with their "anti-detection methods":

A section of traffic police officers are using touts to collect bribes from motorists in different parts of the country to avoid detection from authorities.

http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016/05/30/revealed-traffic-cops-now-use-touts-to-collect-bribes-kavuludi_c1360506

The other thing is that in this particular case the notion of using technology to reduce the human element is especially problematic: Every one in the "food chain" is eating, with the lower levels passing a cut to the upper levels.    So one can be sure that at all levels there is a vested interest in making sure that the technological approach fails.

To my mind, the best way to deal with corruption is to deal with it harshly and promptly.   A place like Singapore has done this successfully, and China has also made great strides.    But that requires political will at the highest levels, and that is non-existent in Kenya, where everyone is eating if they can.   In Kenya today we have a president who got his wealth from theft; a Deputy President who, among other things, is know As "Arap Mashamba"---and not because he is a good farmer; senators and governors whose wealth is of very questionable origin; .... ; and so on downwards.  Who will bell the cat?

Societal attitudes also matter: Kenyans will complain endlessly about corruption, but only when it is to their disadvantage; otherwise they have few issues with the vice and will happily indulge in it---be it the stealing of examinations, the stealing of land from others and bribing the judiciary .... whatever it takes to "get ahead".   And on top of that, it is the "successful" criminals who are admired while the honest-but-poor are despised for not grabbing when they can.