john githongo: corruption in kenya is poisoning politics
Mark anderson, 4 july 2014, the guardian
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Issue Overview
In Kenya, deepening corruption is exacerbating poverty and political violence, and the nation is currently at its tipping point as there is an increase of terrorist threats and a lack of confidence in the government. John Githongo has exposed a corruption scandal of $500 million, implying that the Kenyan president and other senior politicians were moving money into their own accounts. The population fears that the government is not doing enough to protect them.
Course Connections
Kenya is currently struggling to thrive with a large portion of its population living in extreme poverty. The cause for this economic disparity primarily primarily lie in the government failure and the lack of leadership. The government plays an enormous role in the economic and social development of a nation, and when leaders have little interest in improving the economy, it can fall to shambles. Although Kenya does receive bilateral and multilateral aid, this money is being used for other purposes. This is further increasing the gap between the rich and the poor of the developing and the developed.
In Kenya, deepening corruption is exacerbating poverty and political violence, and the nation is currently at its tipping point as there is an increase of terrorist threats and a lack of confidence in the government. John Githongo has exposed a corruption scandal of $500 million, implying that the Kenyan president and other senior politicians were moving money into their own accounts. The population fears that the government is not doing enough to protect them.
Course Connections
Kenya is currently struggling to thrive with a large portion of its population living in extreme poverty. The cause for this economic disparity primarily primarily lie in the government failure and the lack of leadership. The government plays an enormous role in the economic and social development of a nation, and when leaders have little interest in improving the economy, it can fall to shambles. Although Kenya does receive bilateral and multilateral aid, this money is being used for other purposes. This is further increasing the gap between the rich and the poor of the developing and the developed.
![Picture](/uploads/2/5/8/1/25811584/933204007.jpg?367)
Key Stakeholders
Kenyan Citizens: The Kenyan citizens are the individuals who suffer the brunt of the burden as they struggle with a weak economy that is on the verge of collapsing. Many are currently living in extreme poverty and do not realize that these hardships could be attributed to the misdoings of the government.
Kenyan Government: The Kenyan government is composed of officials who have siphoned money for development and used it for their own personal desires and luxuries. Many of these officials have bribed the law enforcement so they are not caught and removed from office.
Critics: Critics are the main opposition to the Kenyan government who insist that Kenya fixes its systems to make it more effective and transparent. These are the educated individuals who are trying to incite change to ensure that Kenya paves its way towards development.
Contributing Factors
The primary cause of poverty in Kenya is corruption. The cause corruption is often poor governance which is a huge political factor. Often in governments, there is little transparency so very few people know what is happening within the government, so there is little chance of getting caught. This creates a lack of accountability as public officials do not announce their actions. Additionally, there is not a strong set of laws and punishments for those who take part, so it’s easier to get away with it. There is a social factor which contributes to corruption and this is the scarcity of goods and resources. As individuals fight for resources, they are willing to go to desperate measures to ensure that their families have what they need. Additionally, the population often lacks proper education, so there are few people who oppose the government and demand that the corruption stop.
Kenyan Citizens: The Kenyan citizens are the individuals who suffer the brunt of the burden as they struggle with a weak economy that is on the verge of collapsing. Many are currently living in extreme poverty and do not realize that these hardships could be attributed to the misdoings of the government.
Kenyan Government: The Kenyan government is composed of officials who have siphoned money for development and used it for their own personal desires and luxuries. Many of these officials have bribed the law enforcement so they are not caught and removed from office.
Critics: Critics are the main opposition to the Kenyan government who insist that Kenya fixes its systems to make it more effective and transparent. These are the educated individuals who are trying to incite change to ensure that Kenya paves its way towards development.
Contributing Factors
The primary cause of poverty in Kenya is corruption. The cause corruption is often poor governance which is a huge political factor. Often in governments, there is little transparency so very few people know what is happening within the government, so there is little chance of getting caught. This creates a lack of accountability as public officials do not announce their actions. Additionally, there is not a strong set of laws and punishments for those who take part, so it’s easier to get away with it. There is a social factor which contributes to corruption and this is the scarcity of goods and resources. As individuals fight for resources, they are willing to go to desperate measures to ensure that their families have what they need. Additionally, the population often lacks proper education, so there are few people who oppose the government and demand that the corruption stop.
![Picture](/uploads/2/5/8/1/25811584/699754850.jpg?308)
Issue Implications
Corruption is a huge issue and it has several repercussions in many different areas. Socially, corruption erodes the quality of life of the population as money to improve infrastructure is spent on other things, so education, healthcare, and social welfare remain stagnant. Additionally, it has a direct impact on the economy because it increases the cost of doing business and decreases the money flow in the government. On a political level, corruption undermines democracy and the rule of law. It hampers the development of markets and drives away investments. Furthermore, it allows for organized crime, terrorism and other threats to human security to flourish.
Bias
The author of the article seems to be quite credible as he is a reporter for global development. It appears that he is extremely biased against African government officials and portrays them in a negative manner. Of course, this seems appropriate given their actions. However, he overgeneralizes the corruption scandal, making it seem as though all of Africa struggles with this problem.
Corruption is a huge issue and it has several repercussions in many different areas. Socially, corruption erodes the quality of life of the population as money to improve infrastructure is spent on other things, so education, healthcare, and social welfare remain stagnant. Additionally, it has a direct impact on the economy because it increases the cost of doing business and decreases the money flow in the government. On a political level, corruption undermines democracy and the rule of law. It hampers the development of markets and drives away investments. Furthermore, it allows for organized crime, terrorism and other threats to human security to flourish.
Bias
The author of the article seems to be quite credible as he is a reporter for global development. It appears that he is extremely biased against African government officials and portrays them in a negative manner. Of course, this seems appropriate given their actions. However, he overgeneralizes the corruption scandal, making it seem as though all of Africa struggles with this problem.