Corrupt officials crippling fight against terrorism

NAIROBI, (AP):

Corrupt police and other government employees willing to break rules for bribes are weakening Kenya's ability to prevent a new rash of terror carried out by attackers with links to Somali militants, officials and analysts say.

Kenya has seen a long string of deadly attacks this year, including grenade blasts and home-made bombs deployed against buses, in markets and at a beachside hotel. Security officials fear another Westgate Mall-style attack, an assault by four gunmen in September that killed at least 67 people, could be coming.

"Corruption, systemic graft, is at the heart of the state's inability to respond to insecurity in general," said John Githongo, a former Kenyan government adviser who exposed millions of dollars in government corruption.

Grand theft by the country's ruling elite has allowed an attitude of "if he can do it, so can I" to permeate the country's lower ranking security apparatus, he said.

"We are paying the price in blood," Githongo said.

Two senior Kenyan police officials who insisted on anonymity for fear of reprisals said police officers, customs officials and immigration officials are easily compromised because of low pay and bad working conditions. One of the officers said there have been multiple instances of police arresting a suspect and setting him free for a bribe, and it later turned out the suspect is a terrorist.

Corruption has a long history in Kenya. A decade ago, a series of security contracts dubbed Anglo-Leasing that were supposed to improve the country's security infrastructure with the purchase of police helicopters, communication systems and a forensic laboratory, instead saw money by senior government officials plundered, Githongo said. No one has served any prison time for what is believed to have been a loss of tens of millions of dollars of government money.