Corruption poses a threat to the stability of Kenya

Kenya, an East African nation once hailed as a success story of the post-Colonial era, is in danger of becoming just another experiment in independence gone bad. Rampant government corruption and bureaucratic inefficiency have spawned a zero-growth economy, which, in turn, has led to more than 50 percent of the country's 29 million people living below the poverty line.
There was a sliver of hope for the country with the "dream team" that was recruited from the private sector to clean up Kenya's civil service and prepare state-owned companies for privatization. But that hope was dashed last month when the team's leader, Richard Leakey, son of the renowned paleontologist, and three other reform-minded technocrats abruptly departed. It isn't known whether they were forced out.
That, coupled with the replacement of the governor of Kenya's Central Bank has made the future of the country uncertain, at best.
Aid package: Given that the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank released more than $340 million in aid based on economic reforms and other proposals presented by Leakey and his team, the question that must now be asked is, "Who's minding the store?" The government of President Daniel Arap Moi certainly cannot be trusted to be a good steward of the aid money.
Therefore, the IMF and the World Bank must immediately investigate the departure of Leakey and the other reformists and take steps to either secure their return, or find replacements for them.
For its part, the United Nations should speed up its investigation of allegations of corruption at the U.N. refugee agency office in Nairobi, the country's capital. On Monday, three U.N. workers were arraigned on charges of threatening to kill the U.S. ambassador and four other people in an attempt to cover up an extortion racket at the U.N. refugee agency.
Thus far, 21 of 60 Kenyan employees in the office have been sent on involuntary leave as a result of the probe.
The world community cannot sit quietly while another underdeveloped country collapses under the weight of corruption.