The Office of the Ombudsman publishes names of people convicted of corruption and other fraudulent practices annually. This list always creates debate among the public, with many saying it is the “small fish” or ordinary citizens who are apprehended and convicted for such crimes, leaving the senior corrupt officials free. In fact, figures released by the Judiciary on Monday indicate of the 324 corruption cases handled over the last one year, the culprits were mainly motorcycle taxi operators, drivers and other ordinary people. No “big fish” or officials that are often implicated in the annual Auditor General’s reports. The Judiciary has, however, now clarified that they lack the capacity to get the necessary evidence to build cases that could lead to arrests or convictions of the so-called “big fish”. This makes it imperative to build the capacity of enforcement agencies and the Judiciary to be able to investigate cases, and handle all cases of corruption successfully, whether the suspects used sophisticated means or not, to ensure that equitable justice is seen to be made. And in the New Age of the Internet and rapidly-changing technology, things can only get harder. Law enforcers need to be on top of their game, they need skilled and well-equipped personnel to be able to make arrests that lead to conviction. The country, therefore, has no option but to equip judicial officials and law enforcement personnel as a matter of priority. This way, the corrupt big will have no hiding place. The Judiciary and related agencies should also engage the public in the fight against corruption and other similar vices. For instance, if an official amassed wealth that does not correspond with their official income, and raise suspicion in the community, are there mechanisms of reporting such cases for investigation, as well as protecting the whistleblowers? And because corruption affects us all, it is everyone’s responsibility to fight the vice, which calls for clear policy on how citizens can support law enforcers and the Judiciary in fighting it.
