Armenians exposed dysfunctional systems

Kenya Times, Kenya
July 19 2006

THE Kiruki Commission of Inquiry into the Arturs saga has made
considerable unflattering revelations of shocking lapses and
inefficiency in a number of key government departments.

The jury may still be out, but the Kenya Airports Authority,
Immigration Department, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID)
and many others have all had their noses bloodied and image soiled.

Joining that catalogue is the office of the Registrar of Companies
under the office of the Attorney General’s Chambers. This is one of the
busiest public offices handling and processing not only documents with
a bearing on the economy and security of this nation, but generates
huge revenue for the government.

This office has, for as long as one cares to remember, been the
epitome of inefficiency and influence peddling. To date it remains
defiant to the spirit of new governance characterised by e-governance
mechanism. We are perturbed that here, companies can be registered
in breach of the rules governing the department.

A visit to the registry, makes a sad statement of a department which
has refused to be automated despite huge funds having been appropriated
for its computerisation for many years. The Kiruki Commission has
been told by employees of the office that among the reasons for its
poor performance is the incomplete computerisation.

But for those who have been doing business with the Registrar’s
office, the refusal to modernise seems to be more deliberate than
lack of resources. One gets the distinct impression that there are
officers—and this not just criticism for the sake of it—who want
to perpetuate inefficiency in the registry to create a conducive
environment for corruption.

Talk of the government’s determination and commitment to implement
Information Communication Technology policy and immediate introduction
of e-governance across the entire civil service. Nothing like
e-governance it seems obtains at the Registrar of Societies office
save for few underutilised computers which can’t track any data.

Inefficiency in government departments, especially those handling
justice, trade and investments, immigration, revenue, transport,
registration of persons, deaths and births contribute significantly
to activities that undermine growth, economic development, security
and the nation’s ability to act in concert with the rest of the
world. Due to predisposition to corruption, laxity and negligence
apparently obtaining at the department, we could be having hundreds of
"Artur brothers" with a purpose to sabotage the aspirations of this
great nation.

The government must not wait for a day longer before it launches a
major overhaul of this critical department.