Corruption and Africa

When I first started studying politics I was amazed with how much corruption exists in all political systems, African and non African. Pork barrel politics, jobs for the boys, Mr 10%, “consultancy fees”, special interest re-election committees, call it want you want, it exists everywhere. In some countries it is claimed that corruption is ingrained in the system to such an extent that if it was rooted out and the black market shut down, the economy and in turn the political system would collapse.

What is it then about corruption in Kenya? Corruption in Africa? Why is it so devastating? Why does it cripple us, kill us, finish us more? Adrian, a fellow Kenyan blogger, quotes his Swiss colleagues as saying “You know, corruption is everywhere, even here in Switzerland. It’s just that here the ordinary person is still able to get by”.

In that sentence I believe lies part of the answer. The New Statesman devoted a recent edition to Africa which contained some frightening analysis. Highly corrupt societies in Asia, such as Indonesia, Bangladesh and Pakistan can achieve high economic growth because the corrupt elite keep their money in house. For example they invest in a new local mobile phone network; they set up private hospitals, the build new tourist hotels and lodges. Corruption in Asia is the buying of a service. The leaders take a cut in everything but things still get done. It may cost 10% more but the service is delivered.

Compare this with Africa. In Africa the corrupt elite steal money from the system and then to make matters worse extract it from the country. Anti corruption officials in Kibaki’s regime discovered at least $1bn stashed outside the country by Moi and his cronies before they were hounded out. The Economist estimates that there is $20bn of Africa’s money stowed in Swiss bank accounts. Between 1970 and 1996 capital flight from 30 sub-Saharan countries totalled $187bn. London’s banks hold $6bn from Kenya and Nigeria alone. If untrammelled corruption is bad enough, untrammelled corruption with capital flight makes for the most deadly of combinations. You steal from the country twice. You send the country backwards, you reverse development, you impoverish people.

The African corrupt elite spend decades stealing billions, yet educate their children abroad because there are no schools at home, get medical treatment abroad, because there are no hospitals at home. Have their babies at foreign hospitals; even have their clothes dry cleaned in the west. You have to wonder. If you do not want to build a hospital at least build a dry cleaners which will employ 5 more people.

This capital flight is borne out of an inferiority complex. A Swiss bank account, a flat in Knightsbridge, a penthouse in Manhattan, shopping trips in Paris all seen as the ultimate status symbols.

This has to change at the grassroots. Which is why I am grateful for the social aware Africans around me in the blogosphere, to name four out of hundreds Nehanda Dreams and her vision for clean water in all villages, AfroBlog! and her dreams for a socio-eco-politically aware African population, Ella and Kashata urging us to IBUKA. Everywhere you look the children of Africa are taking her destiny into their hands.

Clean water in every home; a clinic in every village; schools in every town; banks on each high street; transport links, electricity, energy; progressive political debate; engineering projects. These have to become Africa’s new status symbols. Would it not be fantastic if African leaders bragged about how every village in their country has access to a medical doctor rather that showing off their new presidential jets planes. Would it not be brilliant if African presidents were taking holidays in each others countries instead of doing the whole weekend in Paris thing?