Kenya is Run by Mafia-style Cartels, Says Chief Justice
Top judge says corruption is endemic, with politics and organised crime increasingly linked
African Arguments reports
Kenya is at war with mafia-style cartels run by corrupt politicians and business people, according to the country’s chief justice.
Speaking to a Dutch newspaper, Willy Mutunga claimed organised crime stretched across all of Kenyan society and had “never been worse”.
'Corruption has opened door to al-Shabaab in Kenya'
“The influence of the cartels is overwhelming,” he said. “They are doing illegal business with politicians. If we do not fight [them], we become their slaves.”
As president of Kenya’s supreme court, Mutunga admitted the legal system was ill-equipped to tackle the problem. “You are taking these people into a corrupt investigating system, through a corrupt anti-corruption system, and a corrupt judiciary,” he said.
Nicknamed “the Robin Hood of the Kenyan judiciary” since taking up the post in 2011, Mutunga has become popular among the public for shunning the pomp and wealth synonymous with politicians.
Counterfeit economy
Mutunga said many in Kenya’s political elite have close dealings with organised crime gangs, making money from trafficking illegal migrants, weapons, drugs and producing counterfeit money.
“In Kenya, the counterfeit economy is worth $1.2bn annually according to the Kenya Association of Manufacturers. It has got involved in supporting politicians in a big way,” he claimed.
Citing a recent publication by Journalists for Justice exposing the Kenyan army’s links to Islamist group al-Shabaab in the Somali port of Kismayo, Mutunga said the government had become closely tied up in illegal trading.
“When a racket as in Kismayo prevails, what is the role of the state?” he asked.
Corruption watchdog Transparency International ranked Kenya 145th out of 175 countries in 2014, on a par with Ukraine, Bangladesh and Central African Republic.
Audit uproar
In August Kenya’s highly respected auditor general, Edward Ouko, released an annual audit of government accounts which claimed only 1.2% of the country’s 2013-14 $10bn (£6.4bn) budget was correctly accounted for. Around $600m could not be accounted for at all.
Prompted by the uproar over Ouko’s annual audit, president Uhuru Kenyatta made a series of high-profile appearances renewing promises to the public that he would prioritise tackling corruption.
But anti-graft activist John Githongo said at the time of the audit’s release that “the regime of President Uhuru Kenyatta has allowed the most permissive environment for corruption in Kenya’s history”.
For Mutunga, Kenya’s worsening corruption could only be solved by a new generation of politicians willing to break with the trend.
“The connection between cartels and politicians must be broken... The status quo is deeply rooted, but there comes a time when the leaders have to say ‘and now we fight it out’,” Mutunga said.
African Arguments reports
Kenya is at war with mafia-style cartels run by corrupt politicians and business people, according to the country’s chief justice.
Speaking to a Dutch newspaper, Willy Mutunga claimed organised crime stretched across all of Kenyan society and had “never been worse”.
'Corruption has opened door to al-Shabaab in Kenya'
“The influence of the cartels is overwhelming,” he said. “They are doing illegal business with politicians. If we do not fight [them], we become their slaves.”
As president of Kenya’s supreme court, Mutunga admitted the legal system was ill-equipped to tackle the problem. “You are taking these people into a corrupt investigating system, through a corrupt anti-corruption system, and a corrupt judiciary,” he said.
Nicknamed “the Robin Hood of the Kenyan judiciary” since taking up the post in 2011, Mutunga has become popular among the public for shunning the pomp and wealth synonymous with politicians.
Counterfeit economy
Mutunga said many in Kenya’s political elite have close dealings with organised crime gangs, making money from trafficking illegal migrants, weapons, drugs and producing counterfeit money.
“In Kenya, the counterfeit economy is worth $1.2bn annually according to the Kenya Association of Manufacturers. It has got involved in supporting politicians in a big way,” he claimed.
Citing a recent publication by Journalists for Justice exposing the Kenyan army’s links to Islamist group al-Shabaab in the Somali port of Kismayo, Mutunga said the government had become closely tied up in illegal trading.
“When a racket as in Kismayo prevails, what is the role of the state?” he asked.
Corruption watchdog Transparency International ranked Kenya 145th out of 175 countries in 2014, on a par with Ukraine, Bangladesh and Central African Republic.
Audit uproar
In August Kenya’s highly respected auditor general, Edward Ouko, released an annual audit of government accounts which claimed only 1.2% of the country’s 2013-14 $10bn (£6.4bn) budget was correctly accounted for. Around $600m could not be accounted for at all.
Prompted by the uproar over Ouko’s annual audit, president Uhuru Kenyatta made a series of high-profile appearances renewing promises to the public that he would prioritise tackling corruption.
But anti-graft activist John Githongo said at the time of the audit’s release that “the regime of President Uhuru Kenyatta has allowed the most permissive environment for corruption in Kenya’s history”.
For Mutunga, Kenya’s worsening corruption could only be solved by a new generation of politicians willing to break with the trend.
“The connection between cartels and politicians must be broken... The status quo is deeply rooted, but there comes a time when the leaders have to say ‘and now we fight it out’,” Mutunga said.
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