Corruption in Kenya post-Moi

The scandal in Kenya expanded more today , with a report by Transparency International , an anti-corruption NGO detailing the expanding corruption problems of the government. The report (pdf) focuses on the purchase of luxury vehicles for government employees (e.g., Mercedes and Land Cruisers) instead of more cost-effective and appropriate vehicles purchased by a government vehicle pool. Besides the waste of government resources, the report notes that Perceptions do matter. Conspicuous consumption builds resentment in society and ridicules efforts aimed at securing external financial support. Because the line between such expenditure and corruption is also very thin, senior government officials continue to be perceived as corrupt. The perception of official corruption caused by conspicuous consumption may also hinder unrelated efforts at fighting corruption if the populace believes the government is too corrupt. Finally, the amount spent on the luxury vehicles is enough to put 25,000 children through 8 years of school or to provide anti-retroviral treatment for 147,000 peaople (of the 259,000 needing the treatment but not receiving it) for one year. Corruption is one of the most serious obstacles to poverty-reducing policies in developing countries.