Corruption is Corruption: in Kenya, Nigeria or Chicago
Kenya’s President William Rutto is being accused of corruption by his citizens. Former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke got a two year prison sentence on June 24th for corruption.
Citizens in Kenya have had enough of political corruption and traitors within their nation. Earlier today thousands of youths, mostly from Generation Z, stormed the parliament in the African nation demanding that the President be removed and that money and resources are reallocated to the people. They have shown fearlessness and bravery in the face of being tear gassed, beaten and shot at with many losing their lives. One of the protestors is Auma Obama, half-sister of former American President Barack Obama.
Yesterday here in Chicago, former Alderman Edward Burke was sentenced to two years in a federal prison for his own corruption that has dated back at least 10 years, but what many Chicagoans suspect went on for nearly 50.
Corruption within the government is nothing new to humanity. It goes back to when governments were first formed. However, the most successful nations around the world generally are able to hold their political leaders in check with severe consequences if convicted for corruption. In the case of Burke, 80, two years in prison may not seem like a long time but when you are his age, it could mean a life sentence. He will also have his law license revoked, along with his concealed carry license as a former police officer, who would often sit in city council meetings with his gun on his person. Most importantly, Burke will forever have the stain of being a convicted felon on his legacy.
In Kenya, such consequences for political corruption may not exist. As in many African nations, the citizens are suffering as a result of sham elections, outside meddling by Western nations, the International Monetary Fund and other entities that keep their foot on Kenya’s neck.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.
Nigeria is still suffering from the leadership of Bola Tinubu, who clearly lied to election officials about his qualifications for president and about graduating from my alma matta Chicago State University. The controversy found its way into a federal courtroom in Chicago last year. Presently, Nigeria is dealing with roving gangs of lawlessness in the northern regions of the country. Women and children are being raped. Political dissent is met harshly by security forces. The economy of Nigeria is facing its worst crisis in decades, with out of control inflation and people struggling to buy food, according to a report by Vanguard News. All symptoms of bad and corrupt leadership.
The United Nations is little to no help at all and has been a body with minor enforcement powers on human rights violations and other issues that nations like Kenya and Nigeria face. When people feel like their voices are not being heard, what is happening in Kenya is the result.
Media outlets here in the United States barely mentioned what was going on in Kenya. I found out from a friend who was on social media. Western media plays a huge role in keeping citizens in places like the United States and Canada ignorant about what is really going on in Kenya. Now nearly 25 years into my journalism career, I figured out a while back that who gets covered and what gets covered depends a lot on your standing in the world. Countries that have a majority Black or Brown population are at the bottom of the barrel.
If what is currently taking place in Kenya were happening in a place like Spain, or France, or Switzerland, the American media would be all over it, because those are primarily white countries. The bias in mainstream media coverage has been proven and called out now for decades, yet it hasn’t really changed much. I don’t expect it to change much in the future either in the U.S. as more media companies have been gobbled up by the rich and powerful who want to control the narrative. Independent news outlets like this one are in for the fight of our lives and if we lose, humanity itself loses as well.
Kenya and Africa in general have to fix many of their own societal and political issues without a doubt. I can’t tell them as an outsider how they should do it. But I do know a lot of it has to deal with archaic political leadership, not having industries that can sustain an employable workforce, tribal and religious differences, taxes that are too high, human rights violations, selling off its most valuable natural resources for pennies on the dollar and the biggest one of all; CORRUPTION!