SA sets precedent on corruption
2005-06-17 09:53
Nairobi - Kenya, facing fierce criticism over rampant sleaze, on Thursday said it would have followed South Africa's example of sacking graft-tainted officials, but lacked evidence to take such a move, a government spokesperson said.
In recent months, donors have piled pressure on the government of President Mwai Kibaki to make good it's pre-election pledge of bringing an end to systemic graft, but has floundered citing lack of enough evidence on suspected government officials.
On Tuesday, President Thabo Mbeki sacked his corruption-tainted deputy Jacob Zuma, who had been tipped to succeed him, saying the move was in the interest of the continent's youngest democracy.
Setting a precedent
Analysts said Mbeki's move apparently set an example to African governments facing similar circumstances.
"It is something the president of South Africa did according to what he found to be implications and evidence," spokesperson Alfred Mutua told a press conference in Nairobi.
"You cannot compare that with Kenya's experience. Kenyan experience is that we have not got an iota of proof or an iota of basic background. We have only had speculations," he said.
"In South Africa names were named, transactions were given, receipts were tabled, evidence was given. The president acted on the basis of clear-cut evidence," Mutua said.
Need evidence before taking action
Several graft investigations are underway in Kenya, the most vibrant economy in the East African region, but no action has been taken against top government officials, including ministers, who have been implicated on graft.
Mutua said the government is still waiting for the public to deliver evidence that would enable it to take action on corruption.
"We are still begging any one for evidence. If you have anything, give us then you can say we never did anything with it. This is a predicament we are facing, you don't expect national decisions to be based on rumour mongering or speculations," he explained.
Graft costing government a fortune
Donors have estimated that graft has cost the government up to $1bn since 2002, nearly a fifth of the country's 2004-05 official government spending of about $5.5bn.
As a result, a significant amount of $4.1bn worth of 2003 aid pledges remains undelivered.
Kibaki, heading an opposition coalition, swept into power in 2002 elections, trouncing the long-serving Kenya African National Union (Kanu) party regime, largely on a platform of ending graft and enforcing fiscal discipline.
But Western donors have increasingly warned that the vice was creeping back into government as Kibaki's flounders on making good his promise.
The United States and Germany have both suspended millions of dollars in aid to Kenya and the European Union, which is the country's largest collective donor, the World Bank and Japan have warned of consequences if inaction on graft continues.