CORRUPTION IN KENYA

The Police is the most corrupt institution within Kenya according to the Transparency International Bribery Index. It is estimated that the average urban Kenyan pays out up to 16 bribes a month some small and other large bribes up to 50, 000/= Kenya shillings which is approximately £500-£600.  figures  show that  Kenya is most corrupt country in the east African region after Burundi. The Kenya police in the east African region is the third most  corrupt institution. Its said that in Kenya it's possible to get documents of your fathers death ten years ago and the next morning wake up and get a passport for your father. Traffic offences are broken everyday and people go free after giving out small bribes of a few hundred Kenya shillings equivalent to a few pounds. Education certificates are sold from Kenya's well known Universities, foreigners can buy Kenyan passports,  business licenses  are sold to the highest bidders. The escalation of corruption within kenya is unbelievable you can do anything.

Kenya is trying to eradicate these problems of corruption but the routine  is so normal in most institutions people have just learnt to accept it and people don't want to know what their rights are any more they just want to know how much to do what they want to do. People have all the freedom they want when they have money they can commit crimes get desired documents within the country its not acceptable and right. People need to understand the true meaning of equality amongst everyone and the value of hard work and discipline to improve the situation of Kenya to grow and help those in need suffering from other problems in kenya such as hunger, poverty, and disease.

Police Corruption

The amount of corruption that goes on with the police in Kenya is ridiculous, people everyday give out money to the police for offences that don't even exist. Attitude that police give to civilians is appalling. Police set up road blocks along roads and literally harass civilians, there was a time when I was stopped and was told that I have two options I can pull up to the side of the road while the police make a thorough search of the vehicle and waste my time or I can give me " kitu kidongo", (this is a term used for something small in Swahili but is mainly known as a bribe which police will even ask for shamelessly).  Then I would be able to be on my way.

Police are meant to protect and serve but there have been many incidents where if vehicles don't stop,  police will shoot their firearms with live ammunition they've also shot out at various public demonstrations such as the recent post election violence. Police sprayed bullets as well as tear gas terrifying the public protesters there were many fatalities in this time.
                                    

In Kenya its all about who you know, people can be arrested for no reason what so ever the power is mainly from people within the government, as well as the rich, but the brutal force which police put on the poor is inhumane. Kenya has high levels of poverty particularly in Nairobi, police have known to make raids in slums destroying property of the poor greatly, in Nairobi you can get arrested at night if you don't have I.D on you or "kitu kidogo" and I.D's are not given out for free.

But the police do also have a hard time as there is a lot of tribalism in kenya like most african countries. the main problem is with the mungiki forces causing great chaos in kenya there have been incidents of mungiki gangs cutting off the heads of people and leaving them around main roads of the capital. there has been a lot of deaths related with this conflict with the mungiki.

Police also get a very low salary and at the end of the day they have to earn a living and this is why most police result to bribes but still this is no excuse for their brutal force used against civilians, if money could be circulated round the people instead of being held up through corruption and greed of certain polititians and other individuals with power, slowly problems like poverty and corruption could slowly be irradicated because like most african countries kenya does have a lot of resources available to sustain the entire popullation.