Could Corruption and Tribalism Have Biblical Foundations?

 King Solomon, who was the wisest man who ever lived, wrote in Proverbs 21:14 that, “A gift given in secret soothes anger, and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath”. Whoever popularised corruption must have read this verse. Perhaps the only way to confirm if any of the corruption we practice today is biblical would be to check if it pacifies great wrath. Another way would be probably to look at the size of the bribe and see if it is small enough to be given in secret or concealed in the cloak (please ignore cheques and bank transfers).

Looking at the Kenyan situation, corruption has evolved into a business. Recent statistics showed that many businesses have at one time or other given bribes to clinch lucrative tenders. I have also heard of Government officers getting bribed to “Passover” chan’gaa (illicit brew) dens. I have seen vehicles which should be in the scrap yard moving on the roads with valid inspection stickers. Nepotism, which most Kenyans don’t consider corruption, is rife. The examples of blatant and grand corruption are endless. The question is, is it all justifiable in the good book?

I have always wondered how life in Kenya would be without corruption. People have often told me that corruption in Kenya is eternal; it will never end. I beg to differ although am not sure if my view is based on actual knowledge or on unachievable wishes. I guess it is because my layman’s life is made much more unbearable by the effects of corruption and I wish it could end.

In Genesis chapter 11, the story is told of how all people in the world spoke one language and had a common speech. You have all heard of how they decided to build a tower at Babel going to the heavens in order to make a name for themselves and avoid getting scattered all over the earth. You also know of how God came down with his angels and confused their language and scattered them over the face of the whole earth. They rest as they say, is history. Tribes had been born.

You may not quote me because you know am just a layman. I however do not think that tribalism has anything to do with language. I believe tribalism is a form of hatred. I have seen children of my daughters’ age who do not know a word of their mother tongue and yet they hate members of other tribes passionately. They could be in school together or belong to the same play groups. They could be friends but they are strongly prejudiced against each other based on their respective tribes. In the bible story, the people only disagreed on language. It is not reported that they fought because of their differences. They just lived together with those whose language they could understand.

Coming back to Kenya, tribe has taken a whole new meaning. People openly display their hatred for those who are not from their own tribes. This hatred is not based on anything somebody who is not their tribesman did to them. It is based on long running prejudices passed on from one generation to another.

I have to confess that I also used to have negative views of certain tribes. Having been born and brought up in a small village in central Kenya, I had not had any reasonable interaction with people from other tribes. It is only after I got the opportunity to move away from my village and meet people from diverse origins that I started to learn about the similarities in all Kenyans. I wish all Kenyans could get to interact with those who in their minds are the dirtiest, most arrogant, worst thieves, most warlike, most stupid, and most unfriendly of all tribes. They would probably change their opinions of them.

It is unfortunate that all national and regional leaders in Kenya are where they are due (in large part) to unquestioning support from members of their tribes. Thanks to tribalism, nobody remembers that political parties and coalitions had manifestos against which we should be holding them accountable. Being a layman, I don’t have all the answers, but I know we are not moving in the right direction. Only God can help us on this one.

P.S. I have always doubted the intelligence of the guys in Babel. Since they were the only people in the world, to whom did they expect to make a name for themselves? Just wondering!