Ethical leadership: A theoretical analysis of kenyan ethical climate

Abstract

Kenya has in the recent past found itself up the ranks of corruption. This is based on the 2016 Global Economic Crime survey by Price Waterhouse Coopers, comparing economic crimes in a sample of 115 countries in which Kenya achieved a rank of three as the most corrupt country in world after France and South Africa. Is this a course of celebration that we soon have to fight just a bit more to attain the ‘medal’ of corruption? It’s a likely scenario given the web of corruption that has entangled all facets of the Kenyan society from crucial arms of government to local administrative units in villages to private sectors leaders and is slowly being manifested in the new generations. It has become our way of doing things, it’s our Kenyan culture. Even with the endless efforts from anti-corruption agencies and regulatory laws to stifle corruption, it’s a culture we just can’t get over. Why? The prevailing Kenyan ethical environment provides the basis of a theoretical analysis of ethical leadership bringing forth the aspect of complexity in the nature of ethical leadership. The paper further highlights that it’s beyond the bad apple analogy and corruption is more of a systemic problem applicable to the bad barrel analogy. Nonetheless, the paper acknowledges that in a society where trust and integrity remains a mirage, ethical leadership is at the core of cultural transformation. The possible recommendation to the Kenyan society as a whole and specifically to the Kenyan anti-corruption agencies are provided as possible solutions to tackling the vicious web of corruption in Kenya.