A Foreigner In Kenya

 A Foreigner In Kenya

What can I tell you? Kenya, the country of nature, of wildlife, and, last but not least the country of the Rift Valley.

Let me start from the beginning. The beginning is usually at the airport. You're very exited about this adventure which is in front of you. Many people have been here, all of them have told a story, different ones but exiting.

You got everything in your pocket. Passport is at the moment not so important. Important is the PCR-Test - of course a negative one. Passangers lining up in a line, waiting patiently, holding their result in their hands. A guy is checking it, reading, then saying: "It's OK". You're going forther, some steps, you must show your QR - Code. This got copied. Some steps later you have to wait on a spot, your temperature got measured. 

This procedure takes some time. But Passangers are used to wait. They have to wait everywhere. Flight time is sometimes shorter as the flying time.

From now on you have to run down a long gangway. Money hangers are there. ATM also. I tried to change money at one office, they refused, they only take cash and I'm always short of cash, I prefer to use credit card. The only change to chance to change is the ATM. Here the amount is limited. That's bad! What you can do?

Next stop is Immigration. You need a visa. Funny thing, visa you have to apply online. After three days you will get a visa, that means a peace of paper. That's not a visa, the visa you hopefully applied for, gives you the nice immigration officer.

"Welome, Sir", greeting me the officer. Actually I like more the ladies. They got more sense.

"Good day, " usually I'm answering.

I'm a kind guy.

I give him this peace of paper, my passport.

"What you're doing here?"

Acctually it's written on this visa paper.

"I'm tourist."

"Tourist?!" can I hear here a surprise?

"Yes."

"Where you're going? Staying in Nairobi or you go somwhere else?"

"I'm going to Nakuru, looking at the lake and the wildlife."

"i give you one month."

You you have to smile, a Foto is taken. A stamp is given into your passport. You're released.

Colloct your luggage, you can go out of the airport terminal.

Kenya, here I am.

Continue reading

https://charlykappel.blogspot.com/2021/08/a-foreigner-in-kenya-chapter-1.html

https://charlykappel.blogspot.com/2021/08/a-foreigner-in-kenya-chapter-2.html

https://charlykappel.blogspot.com/2021/09/a-foreigner-in-kenya-chapter-3.htmll

https://charlykappel.blogspot.com/2021/09/a-foreigner-in-kenya-chapter-4.htm

https://charlykappel.blogspot.com/2021/09/kwa-moyo-wangu-wote.html

https://charlykappel.blogspot.com/2021/09/foreigner-in-kenya-chapter-6.html

https://charlykappel.blogspot.com/2021/09/a-foreigner-in-kenya-chapter-7.html

https://charlykappel.blogspot.com/2021/09/nakupenda-i-love-you-what-beautiful.html

https://charlykappel.blogspot.com/2021/09/a-foreigner-in-kenya-chapter-10.html

Arrested

 I am on holiday in Kenya. I have to wonder why I'm being arrested here for nothing. Here is the whole story. I went to Mombasa because everyone here raves about this city. My first impression was not very positive. I saw a lot of sex tourists, old white men with young black women. I was ashamed, I have to say. OK, I went to the beach to have fun in the Indian Ocean. So I went to a public beach. At the beginning of this beach there were young men and they all wanted something. I ignored them and wanted to go to the sea, which was about 100m away. On the way there, the police called me to come to them. I went there. They were sitting at a small house and talking. A lady said to me that I was under arrest. Why, I asked. She said because I tried to go on a closed beach. How was I to know that? I was told that it would be written on a board. I didn't see one. I meant, yesterday I was also on the beach and there were a lot of people. That was another state, kilifi and now I am in Mombasa. I meant that it is strange that the police are sitting here, watching me enter a closed beach and just let it happen without warning or informing me. The police's actions must be seen as premeditated because if the beach is closed, then it is their job to guard that no one enters that ground. I remarked on this, apparently the chief said they were only carrying out orders issued by the governor. I can't believe, and I don't accept, that the governor gave such an order, that was an excuse and nothing else. What the police did was simply rubbish. After two hours in prison I wanted to know what would happen next. You must be patient, said the lady. I replied that my question was about the time and not how I should be. She had called and a car was on its way to take me to prison. That was too much. I am sick, I need my medication, I cannot get involved in a maybe. I called the embassy, that's when they got nervous. Threat after threat. The lady and 4 other policemen wielding their guns. Maybe they wanted to scare me. Maybe they were trying to scare me. I said to the lady, are you going to shoot me? Why do I say that? I'm not walking around with a gun, and in a cell. Finally, my companion was asked for 2000 kshs. It was a bargain, because normally they ask for 5000 kshs. I would be released, now I was allowed to walk across the closed beach! The private beaches were open. A little further away, I went swimming after all. However, I did not like it. The behaviour of the police raises many questions. No one can or wants to answer them.

You should do something, not everybody is a sextourist. Actually im a doctor in philosophy, writing a book about Africa. I came here to see life of Kenyans. 

The following message arrives me:

Hi! Very sorry for your bad experience. I just want to tell you that what happend to you happens also to Kenyans many times. Once my underaged son was arrestet at the same beach together with his friend, because of loitering around. He was there with the whole family of his friend and the parents tried to explain the officers that the boys weren't alone but they packed them in the lorry and drove them to the police station Bamburi. The father had to pay 5000.- to get them released. Bamburi police station is one of the corruptest on the cost. Police harassment and killings are a big problem here.

Corruption in Afrika

 Corruption in Africa

Our beautiful continent has over fifty countries. Some of these countries are ruled by corrupt leaders. They influence the judicial system, award jobs to their relatives, and limit the freedom of the press. This results in many African countries having a small wealthy elite while the majority of the population live in poverty and desolation.

We can only take a look at the number 1 and the last one.

According to Afrikanza:

1 - Somalia

10 - Central African Republic

According to AnswersAfrica:

1 - DRC

10 - Cote d'Ivory

According to  jatoday:

1 - Angola

10 - Somalia

What we can see here is simple. All African countries are driven by corruption. The lists are not important, important is that nobody is declaring that his country is not corrupted.

Let's have a look at Kenya.

This is the corruption report from 2020 from the Risk and Complying Portal. 

Kenya’s competitiveness is held back by high corruption levels that penetrate every sector of the economy. A weak judicial system and frequent demands for bribes by public officials lead to increased business costs for foreign investors. Widespread tax evasion hinders Kenya’s long-term economic growth, and fraud in public procurement is rampant. Corruption, active and passive bribery, abuse of office and bribing a foreign public official are criminalized under the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act 2003, in addition to the Bribery Act of 2016 which strengthens the fight against the supply-side of corruption. Facilitation payments are criminalized and there are rules for what types of gifts public officials are allowed to accept. Adequate enforcement of Kenya’s anti-corruption framework is an issue as a result of weak and corrupt public institutions.

Corruption is rampant within Kenya’s police. The Kenya National Police Service is ranked as the most corrupt institution in the country, and bribery is reported to be the only way to access the police and expedite services (HRR 2016).

The competitiveness of Kenya’s business environment is impeded by rampant public-service corruption. Complying with administrative requirements takes a lot of time and is plagued by red tape (GCR 2016-2017).

There is a very high risk of corruption in Kenya’s land administration. Kenyans report a high likelihood of bribery demands in meetings with land service officials, and corrupt practices reportedly occur in almost 20% of all interactions (TI Kenya, 2014). 

The tax administration in Kenya carries a high risk of corruption. Companies report that irregular payments and bribes in the process of tax payments are very common (GCR 2015-2016).

Kenyan public procurement is subject to rampant corruption and bribery. Companies report that bribes and irregular payments are highly common in the process of awarding public contracts (GCR 2015-2016).

Businesses should note the enforcement of anti-corruption legislation in Kenya is inadequate as a result of the weak judicial system and a lack of strong institutions (BTI 2016).

Kenya’s Constitution guarantees freedoms of press and expression (HRR 2016). In practice, the government does not completely respect these rights; journalists are facing increasing pressure from authorities and new laws that challenge their ability to report freely (FotP 2016).

And that's not all.

Companies face a moderate risk of corruption when dealing with Kenya’s judicial sector. Companies report bribes and irregular payments in return for favorable decisions are common (GCR 2015-2016).

Corruption In Africa

Corruption in Africa

This beautiful continent has 54 countries.  Some of these countries are ruled by corrupt leaders.  They influence the judiciary, award jobs to their relatives and restrict the freedom of the press.  As a result, many African countries have a small wealthy elite, while the majority of the population lives in poverty and devastation.

We can only take a look at the number 1 and the last.

According to Afrikanza:

1 - Somalia

10 - Central African Republic

According to AnswersAfrika:

1 - Democratic Republic of Congo

10 - Ivory Coast

According to Jatoday:

1 - Angola

10 - Somalia

What we can see here is simple.  All African countries are driven by corruption.  The lists are not important, the important thing is that no one claims that his country is not corrupted.

Let's look at Kenya.

This is the 2020 corruption report from the Risk and Complying Portal.

Kenya's competitiveness is held back by a high level of corruption permeating every sector of the economy.  A weak judicial system and frequent bribery demands from public officials lead to increased business costs for foreign investors.  Widespread tax evasion hampers Kenya's long-term economic growth, and public procurement fraud is widespread.  Corruption, active and passive bribery, abuse of office and bribery of foreign officials are criminalized under the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Act 2003 and the Bribery Act of 2016, which strengthens the fight against corruption on the supply side.  Bribery payments are criminalized and there are rules for what types of gifts officers are allowed to accept.

Proper enforcement of Kenya's anti-corruption framework is a problem due to weak and corrupt public institutions.

Corruption is widespread among Kenya's police.  Kenya's National Police Service is considered the country's most corrupt institution, and bribery is reportedly the only way to speed up access to police and services (HRR 2016).

The competitiveness of Kenya's business environment is hampered by rampant corruption in the civil service.  Meeting administrative requirements takes a lot of time and is bureaucratic (GCR 2016-2017).

There is a very high risk of corruption in Kenya's land administration.  Kenyans report a high likelihood of bribery claims in meetings with land service officials, and nearly 20% of all interactions reportedly involve corrupt practices (TI Kenya, 2014).

The tax administration in Kenya carries a high risk of corruption.  Companies report that irregular payments and bribes are very common in tax payments (GCR 2015-2016).

Public procurement in Kenya is subject to widespread corruption and bribery.  Companies report that bribes and irregular payments are widespread in public procurement (GCR 2015-2016).

Companies should note that enforcement of anti-corruption laws in Kenya is inadequate due to the weak judicial system and lack of strong institutions (BTI 2016).

The Kenyan Constitution guarantees freedom of the press and freedom of expression (HRR 2016).  In practice, the government does not fully respect these rights;  Journalists face increasing pressure from authorities and new laws that challenge their ability to report freely (FotP 2016).

And that's not all.

Companies are exposed to a moderate risk of corruption in dealing with Kenya's judicial sector.  Companies often report bribes and irregular payments in return for positive decisions (GCR 2015-2016).