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The news media have kept to their mandate as public watchdogs. They have dug in on ways the government uses taxpayer funds, demonstrating a commitment to not just journalism, but responsible reporting. They have invested in reporting the massive corruption that continues as if we have neither the intelligence to count the losses nor the conscience to stop this normalisation of corruption.
We have to appreciate when the media stand on the side of the people, as they have in the past, particularly in recent months. They have exposed mega corruption at various levels of government, leading to billions of Kenyan shillings in losses. They have pointed out that the problems in the education and health sectors can be resolved if the billions of looted shillings are recovered.
We have a serious problem with government accountability. It is not normal that year after year, billions of shillings are looted and nothing happens. In the past month, the media across platforms have ably reported scandal after scandal running into billions of shillings at the expense of development. The sheer wastage in public spending is unsettling to whoever cares to reflect on our economic performance.
The Loyola Centre for Media and Communications conducted a nationwide survey last year in which the role of the media in the fight against corruption featured.
Over half of respondents (53.3 per cent) believe the media are sometimes complacent in exposing corruption, while 39.7 percent describe citizens as similarly passive. This dual complacency creates a feedback loop: Weak media coverage dampens citizen outrage, and public silence discourages sustained journalism.
Open-ended responses noted that corruption scandals dominate headlines briefly but fade without resolution, feeding a culture of acceptance. Breaking this loop requires strengthening independent and community media, creating citizen feedback platforms, and promoting social accountability storytelling that sustains public engagement beyond single news cycles.
The cartels and the networks of corruption are pushing us to a point of accepting that fighting the vice is a waste of time. I remember in one of the expert interviews, someone said, “We wish you well,” referring to any attempts to break the chains of corruption.
Many of us have given up demanding accountability in the way the government generates revenue and spends it. We have come to terms with the fact that corruption is a way of life in Kenya. We have reconciled our conscience with evil. Simply, by throwing in the towel, we have agreed with the saying that if you can’t beat them, join them. Not so with the media in Kenya.
We have also seen many religious leaders who have refused to buy into the normalisation of corruption. They have spoken out categorically that something is wrong in the government if the mega corruption scandals can be swept under the carpet year in and year out. The many promises by the government to fight corruption have never translated into the recovery of the billions of shillings siphoned to private pockets.
Let us be honest with ourselves. Talking of developing the country when mega looting is never tackled is a disservice to humanity. We are putting not only the country on a road to destruction but also endangering the future of children.
What joy does it give an adult who shamelessly steals billions of shillings meant to help the sick, the vulnerable and the education of children? To paraphrase the Scriptures, such an adult should never have been born in the first place.
The media should persist in doing a good job because all of us become victims of mega corruption. My law knowledge is very limited, but I guess some learned friends out there can help us figure out how to stop paying tax if, in all honesty, the government appears helpless before the face of massive corruption. Why should we borrow billions of shillings when similar amounts are locally looted?
Stopping mega corruption and recovering the billions of shillings stolen should be a priority. We hurt millions of people with grand corruption.
Dr Mokua is the Executive Director of the Loyola Centre for Media and Communication
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The news media have kept to their mandate as public watchdogs. They have dug in on ways the government uses taxpayer funds, demonstrating a commitment to not just journalism, but responsible reporting. They have invested in reporting the massive corruption that continues as if we have neither the intelligence to count the losses nor the conscience to stop this normalisation of corruption.
We have to appreciate when the media stand on the side of the people, as they have in the past, particularly in recent months. They have exposed mega corruption at various levels of government, leading to billions of Kenyan shillings in losses. They have pointed out that the problems in the education and health sectors can be resolved if the billions of looted shillings are recovered.
We have a serious problem with government accountability. It is not normal that year after year, billions of shillings are looted and nothing happens. In the past month, the media across platforms have ably reported scandal after scandal running into billions of shillings at the expense of development. The sheer wastage in public spending is unsettling to whoever cares to reflect on our economic performance.
The Loyola Centre for Media and Communications conducted a nationwide survey last year in which the role of the media in the fight against corruption featured.
Over half of respondents (53.3 per cent) believe the media are sometimes complacent in exposing corruption, while 39.7 percent describe citizens as similarly passive. This dual complacency creates a feedback loop: Weak media coverage dampens citizen outrage, and public silence discourages sustained journalism.
Open-ended responses noted that corruption scandals dominate headlines briefly but fade without resolution, feeding a culture of acceptance. Breaking this loop requires strengthening independent and community media, creating citizen feedback platforms, and promoting social accountability storytelling that sustains public engagement beyond single news cycles.
The cartels and the networks of corruption are pushing us to a point of accepting that fighting the vice is a waste of time. I remember in one of the expert interviews, someone said, “We wish you well,” referring to any attempts to break the chains of corruption.
Many of us have given up demanding accountability in the way the government generates revenue and spends it. We have come to terms with the fact that corruption is a way of life in Kenya. We have reconciled our conscience with evil. Simply, by throwing in the towel, we have agreed with the saying that if you can’t beat them, join them. Not so with the media in Kenya.
We have also seen many religious leaders who have refused to buy into the normalisation of corruption. They have spoken out categorically that something is wrong in the government if the mega corruption scandals can be swept under the carpet year in and year out. The many promises by the government to fight corruption have never translated into the recovery of the billions of shillings siphoned to private pockets.
Let us be honest with ourselves. Talking of developing the country when mega looting is never tackled is a disservice to humanity. We are putting not only the country on a road to destruction but also endangering the future of children.
What joy does it give an adult who shamelessly steals billions of shillings meant to help the sick, the vulnerable and the education of children? To paraphrase the Scriptures, such an adult should never have been born in the first place.
The media should persist in doing a good job because all of us become victims of mega corruption. My law knowledge is very limited, but I guess some learned friends out there can help us figure out how to stop paying tax if, in all honesty, the government appears helpless before the face of massive corruption. Why should we borrow billions of shillings when similar amounts are locally looted?
Stopping mega corruption and recovering the billions of shillings stolen should be a priority. We hurt millions of people with grand corruption.
Dr Mokua is the Executive Director of the Loyola Centre for Media and Communication
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By Elias Mokua