Slaying the corruption dragon.
The recent refocus on all things corruption by the Government of Kenya brought to mind what to me has been one of the best explanations of why people opt to get involved in such trickery in the first place, aptly depicted by the ‘Fraud Triangle’
To understand the genesis of corruption is to understand some of the basic drivers of human society, best depicted by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs which can be roughly grouped into Basic Needs, Psychological Needs and Self fulfillment needs.
These tend to provide the first and possibly most important point of entry into the downward spiral of corruption, pressure.
Pressure disguises itself in many mays from financial distress brought about by debt, health issues, lifestyle changes, the list could be endless, to family problems and difficult employee – employer relationships.
This leads the individual to seek out the opportunity which may present itself in many ways but are highlighted by lax governance systems that the individual(s) can take advantage of.
Lastly, rationalization that allows the perpetrators to justify their actions, statements like ‘everyone is doing it’ or ‘they don’t pay me enough’ are common ways for people to find a moral standing for their actions.
Which brings me back to Kenya, and the current fight against corruption we are witnessing. The battle lines have been drawn but, in my opinion, the real war is a moral one. Until society questions financial gains that cannot be explained, until people are able to rediscover the pride of the gains of hard work, we will continue to chase our tails.
*Views expressed are the writers own.
Regional Chief Human Resources Officer at Bata Group
5 年This is very true. We lost our Moral compass. The "our/my turn to eat "syndrome will have to end. No wonder the young generation is hauling insults to us (King Kaka).? Where is Ken Njiru of Ushenzi initiative! Such voices have been very lonely. Let us ALL join Andrew and others! Let us make it loud!!
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5 年A moral shift in position is a function driven by culture.? In brandspeak... some would say that Kenya needs to undergo a culture change initiative.? So whilst we have the very best intentions for change our actions speak a different truth.? Until and we are outraged enough to do something tangible at a local level to change this narrative, we will remain ensconced with this corruption creature.? So lets get comfortable.?? It is not the task for a single individual (read leader in this case), but it must be the collective purpose driven elective (choice) of a whole people.? It seems an impossibility when you look at the problem in this manner. But it is only in doing this that we will address how deep and how far the cancer creeps.? To root it out we require both visionary leadership (political will) and practical actions that begin to seed kernels of hope in the minds of the populace.? The practical actions (systems and processes) must generate tangible returns in order to provide proof of concept.? These incremental changes will then be the ripple effect that feeds the Tsunami that will sweep all before it.?? We need to stop talking and to start doing. The Big Four Agenda - while it may be a great strategic philosophy for me remains a theoretical minefield that is handicapped by our common bedfellow - Corruption!? If you were to ask me, there is only one creature that we need to kill while it sleeps.?? Who will slay the dragon? Can the real citizens please stand up!? Pablo.?? ?
Co-Founder at INUUA
6 年Nice paradigm to think about this
Pharmaceutical Sales | Health Tech | EdTech | AI and Robotics | E-Mobility | Coaching and Mentoring
6 年Sure, it's a wake up call. Thanks
Director at AfroStar Diagnostics. Established industry leader managing $200M product portfolios in healthcare and building & construction industries.
6 年Very well said , The real issue is a Moral one.