Public Morality: A Proposition for Effective Public Governance in Africa with Emphasis on Kenya

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this literature review paper, discusses some of the public governance challenges that Africa faces today. The Paper intertwines: religion, governance, and morality; and presupposes that morality plays a role in good governance. The paper discusses considered basis of morality: Religion, Family, Education and the Rule-of-Law, and sketchily highlights some antiquity views on the subject.
 Materials and Methods: This study is a literature review on public morality in the public square. It starts by giving a general panoramic view, on Africa, before situating its focus on Kenya. The study interweaves religion, public governance and morality; and presupposes that morality plays a key role in good public governance. Based on this presupposition, the paper starts with a para further discusses public governance in Africa, focusing on Kenya. The study examines considered foundations of morality that are not only key but essential in Africa, with emphasis on the role of morality in effective public governance. The paper also considers the concepts of: Public Morality and Morality, and highlights the differing theories advanced in the literature, endeavor to define these concepts Morality and Public Morality. The study identifies and lists key pillars, essential for good public governance.
 Findings: The finding of this study based on the Kenyan scenario, is that the mere legislation of laws does not necessarily results in public morality. This literature review identified the following gaps: Studies indicative of whether immediate action and the appliance punitive measures, upon infringement of the laws, serve as a deterrent; the need to assess the correlation of number of Kenya’s anti-corruption legislations and their impact or lack thereof.
 Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: In respect to the Kenyan scenario, the researcher has made some recommendations in the fight against corruption. Pending a thorough research, this paper has made the following stop-gap recommendation for addressing Kenya’s paradoxical situation; Kenya needs to focus on consistent and indiscriminative enforcement of the rule of law; When these laws are infringed on, there is need to carry out speedy but thorough investigation and prosecution of offender. The researcher opines that rapid turnaround time of the wheels of prosecutorial process and arraignment of suspects to the courts of justice is a clear communication to perpetrators and would be perpetrators. In addition, the rapid turn and investigative actions taken may act as a deterrent measure and stern warning to potential perpetrators; as a.