MS WORLD - You are in a corruption free zone???

Sad to say, but if you believe that civil society is a corruption free zone, you are grossly mistaken.

By Dorthe Skovgaard Mortensen

Transparency International’s bribery index for Kenya documents that the prevalence of bribery among NGOs/CSOs and Religious Organizations is higher than that of Nairobi City Council! Indeed a sad and aggravating fact showing that corruption imbues society.

The bribery index captures corruption as experienced by ordinary citizens in their interaction with officials of public and private organizations. The statistics on prevalence, printed here in the magazine, indicate the percentage of the population affected by bribery in the organization.

Table: Prevalence 2004 (Bribery Encounters as % of Respondents Affected)

In order to be a legitimate watchdog to the government and the private sector on corruption, civil society needs to restore its credibility.

Therefore, MS Kenya has decided to focus this year’s activities on inequality and corruption. We will be working with pro-poor budgeting, discussing the impact of corruption on inequality, putting into operation MS Kenya’s anti-corruption charter, and in general keep the discussion on what is right and what is wrong going and alive amongst our development partners.

So, join us in fighting corruption in the civil society!

The Kenya Bribery Index by Transparency International Kenya can be purchased from their office 3^rd floor, ACK Garden House, 1^st Ngong Avenue, Nairobi. The price is 100 Kshs. per copy.