Coronavirus Fight has Produced Another Virus of Corruption Creating Covid-19 Millionaires

News:

Kenyan Detectives are to recommend the prosecution of at least 15 top government officials and business people over the alleged misuse of millions of dollars meant for buying Covid-19 medical supplies. The first phase of investigations has centered on the alleged misuse of $7.8m meant to purchase emergency PPE for healthcare workers and hospitals across the country. Investigators from Kenya’s Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) say preliminary findings have shown that several laws on public procurement were flouted during the awarding of the tenders. The Investigations has established criminal culpability on the part of public officials in the purchase and supply of Covid-19 emergency commodities at Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) that led to irregular expenditure of public funds. The second phase of investigations will target companies that are alleged to have benefitted from the tenders, although there is no suggestion any of the companies misappropriated Covid-19 funds. (BBC)

Comment:

In a difficult time where millions of poor Kenyans are absorbing the shock of Coronavirus, it is clear as day its fight has created the so-called Covid-19 millionaires, who have benefited from fraudulent deals. Millions of shillings are not accounted for, Covid-19 funds that should have gone to the public have gone to personal accounts. It is unfathomable to think the amount of risk people have been exposed to due to selfishness and greed. In another expose’ of the Nation TV showed how the billions of shillings flowed and the firms — at both the national and county levels — that got paid, in a supplies frenzy that has created several Covid-19 dollar millionaires.

Corruption has long plagued Kenya, hampering its development, exacerbating inequality and suppressing its economic potential. This monster is as long as the war itself to fight it which has been politicized when every new scandal emerges. Government officials implicated in corruption cases have been freed on bail and the cases take too long to be concluded and finally no one is found “guilty due to lack of evidence”.

Corruption is a monster eating all Governments bounded to corrupt system of Capitalism. In other words, the basis of corruption in these regimes lies in the Capitalist system applied to the society. The system is inundated with materialistic gratification as the sole criteria in life hence it triggers the society particularly state officials to be tempted with avidity to amass wealth through corrupt deals. Since Kenya embraces the Capitalist ideology that is infested with intense yearning to amass wealth by all means then looting public coffer will be rampant.

Only Islam can combat the menace of corruption hence it curses all those who involve themselves in bribery and corruption. The responsibility and duty of fighting corruption is collective on all not certain individuals or commissions. Islam demands the state leader (Khalifah) to take any serious action against any government official involved in looting the public fund regardless of his or her status in society. Additionally, the Khalifah implements the divine laws (Shariah) determining how the State collects and spends its resources. For thirteen centuries when Islam ruled half of the world, financial scams were rare if any. Apparently it is only the Khilafah (Caliphate) reestablished on the method of Prophethood, the peril of corruption and other vices will be obliterated.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Shabani Mwalimu
Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in Kenya