Governors have learnt bad manners from State

Devolution has rightly been cited as one of the priceless gifts that the 2010 Constitution gave to Kenyans, but the people’s experience with most governors has been less than wholesome. In fact, the relationship has been extremely abusive, akin to that of a parent repeatedly stealing food and medicine from hungry and sickly children!

And like the thieving parent, they do not want to be told about it.

We saw the impunity at its most loathsome last week, when even the less venal ones joined the baying pack and, under the respectable tag of the Council of Governors (CoG), issued a remarkably inane statement criticising the Nation newspaper for reporting on ongoing investigations into widespread corruption known and suspected to be rife in most counties.

The CoG, in an astounding display of witlessness, then proceeded to declare suspension of commercial relations with Nation and warned other media of similar treatment if they dared report on theft at the counties.

It was surprising to see CoG Chairman Wycliffe Oparanya read the statement, and equally shocking to know that he chaired the session that discussed the matter and agreed on that position.

The Kakamega Governor is one of the few better spoken-about for having prudently used funds sent to the county, and he should have urged his colleagues to be more cautious.

Corrupt dealings

As it turned out, hardly had the furore sparked by the CoG pronouncement settled than the Director of Public Prosecutions ordered the arrest of Garissa Governor Ali Korane for suspected graft. The good governor happens to be have been on the Nation list of those already charged or being investigated for suspected corrupt dealings.

This is the deal, Mr Oparanya and colleagues. The CoG is a respectable platform that is mandated to discuss weighty issues of how devolution can best be made to work for Kenyans.

It should be providing an audit of how the Sh300 billion-plus yearly allocated to the counties has been spent, and demanding more if it demonstrates that the counties are spending the money to positively impact the lives of Kenyans.

It is a collegiate body that should be holding its members to account and that should require a very high degree of probity. It should be a requirement that those of its membership who have been charged or are being investigated be suspended until proven innocent. For it then to convert itself into a committee that protects suspected thieves beggars belief.

Surely the governors know that the only reason more of them have not been charged is because of the high threshold the law places on evidence. Those aware of how to work the system, particularly those that previously worked in senior positions in government, know how to sufficiently blur the money trail.

But their lifestyles will expose them and they will have to account.

Those finishing their second terms must be particularly apprehensive because they stare at either fame or infamy. Prison will be a good place for those who looted large amounts of money to invest in personal gain.

Believable stories abound of once averagely comfortable individuals becoming fabulously wealthy in very short periods of time. They must explain this wealth and be punished for stealing.

And the media must be free to report, and report aggressively. Regrettably, the CoG must have derived some confidence from the fact that the government has used the commercial whip to punish media for doing their job.

Issues of governance

The Government Advertising Agency (GAA) was never a well-intentioned creation and it has been used to deny media crucial business support. The government has in the past issued edicts to ministries and parastatals to hold off advertising to Nation and other media for calling it out on issues of governance.

So, these bad manners are acquired and it is important that the disgust that the CoG report triggered lead to a deeper reflection on the role of agencies such as the GAA.

It is an oddity that daily reminds the media that access to government resources, which is public tax that media houses contribute to, is not a right. This is an aberration that needs urgent correction, and not only because it gives governors stupid ideas.

[email protected]; @tmshindi)