Procurement officers across all government ministries and agencies will be taking polygraph tests in fresh vetting after a directive by President Uhuru Kenyatta during Madaraka Day.
Kenyans have however raised concerns about whether the procurement of the polygraph equipment will be conducted in a transparent manner given that such purchases in the past have turned into scandals.
Most notable is the case of purchase and installation of Ksh 400 million CCTVs in Nairobi that was part of Ksh30 billion for the establishment of a National Surveillance, Communication and Control System in Nairobi and Mombasa which is marred by controversy.
[caption caption="Traffic cameras"]
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Though the announcement by Uhuru is expected to accelerate the efforts by the government against the runaway corruption in the country, Kenyans have raised various concerns across social media.
The lies will start right in the tendering of the lie detectors
— Toby (@Toby_Pat) June 1, 2018
We spent billions on CCTV cameras that never captured the killers of Hon Muchai , Chris Msando and Omwami Jacob Juma. POLYGRAPH tendering issa scandal in the making.. ..aftermath will be a Commission Of Inquiry ( also known as Task Force) worth millions
— Linda Akinyi Ocholla (@lochola9248) June 2, 2018
How many are willing to bet the polygraph machines are in the high seas? https://t.co/RevYtvPSY1
— Dr Wandia (@wmnjoya) June 1, 2018
No... Not the seas. At the Mombasa port at best and at worst in some godown in Nairobi.
— Jusper Mogire (@mogire_jusper) June 1, 2018
Someone has a Purchase Order already!
— Dr. Benjy (@BenjyAshuma) June 1, 2018
Another scandal in the brewing
— THE Majani (@ChasiaMJ) June 1, 2018
Probably in Govt stores already. Paid in full!
— Vincent Ogeto (@Vogeto) June 1, 2018
I think they are at the port awaiting clearance
— Mr Mister (@king_kongcola) June 1, 2018
Tell me this is a joke! So now we need a budget for a 'lie detector' to vet out and prosecute the Kaburas, and they will also get away with some share of that budget. We truly are reaping what we planted.
— Bernard Ogoncho (@BernardOgoncho) June 2, 2018
He he he, somebody already has won a tender...
— Amunabi Mwene. (@AmunabiMwene) June 1, 2018
Pesa ya kubuy izo machines zitapotea
— Kelvin Winsters (@KelvinWinsters) June 1, 2018
wait!! What?? are u serious?? elections went high tech and the guy with the password was deaded otherwise cheers
— TEDD JOSIAH (@Teddjosiah) June 1, 2018
Others raised concerns whether it would be possible to carryout the polygraph test without the integrity of the involved parties especially those conducting the test being compromised.
The polygraph kit purchase will be a scandal by itself - im sure they’ll all pass.
— Tina Kris (@TinakrisKe) June 1, 2018
Aaaaa no no no can’t trust them Kenyan Police&co will tamper &corrupt the machine itself any way
— Ghettoqueen (@Ghettoq53463759) June 1, 2018
Wait for the tenderpreneurs to deliver lies...air was delivered n paid for anyway
— issa kassim (@IssaOgor) June 1, 2018
Haha.. There is a 99.99% chance that those polygram machine have been tampered with.
— Noor (@mnoor254) June 1, 2018
They will bribe the machine.
— Blacknificent (@OsindeJr) June 1, 2018
Just you wait till we have to grapple with the murkiest possible scandal involving the procurement of this equipment. And not to hold your breath on the integrity of the polygraph to be purchased either; they'll propose it be sourced from a certain province of China!!
— oliver wabwire (@oliverwabwire) June 2, 2018
I guarantee it will be stolen soon.
— Prince of Wakanda (@CaptUnderpant) June 1, 2018
Corruption is our national heritage!!
— Lameck ngochorai (@LNgochorai) June 1, 2018
— frank what? (@frankowato) June 1, 2018
Polygraphs also known as lie detectors are used to determine whether one is telling the truth when answering a a series of questions or they are lying by measuring and recording physiological body reactions such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity.
However, another group of tweeps have raised concern over the accuracy and acceptability of the results obtained from the machine.
This isn't fair, it has been proven countless times that polygraph tests are not conclusive. You can use it to purge your enemies in government positions claiming that they are corrupt
— Wandile Shongwe (@wadshongwe) June 1, 2018
Not a bad idea to hook up witnesses to a lie detector at the Commission of Inquiry here...how does this compare with the current swearing exercise?
— Nick Blell (@blell_nick) June 1, 2018
@ali_naka I like this idea, especially for presidential candidates.
— Selah. (@TsikaTinadzo) June 1, 2018 (@IrushAntony) June 1, 2018
As an IoT hardware developer, I can assure you this thing is a mockery. it doesn't work 100% .I developed one when I was in form 2 and most of the time is when I lied and gone undetected. @UKenyatta before buying them, you need to sample my prototype of the same,
— Muthungu Anthony ,AII (@Its_Muthungu) June 1, 2018
I think Kenya is mimicking advanced democracies like USA, but the question is: do we have the fundamentals? Am sceptical about this idea of introducing polygraph(lie detector) in this Third World nation.
— Bagman Tom Onyuka (@tom_bagman) June 1, 2018
There is no such thing as lie detector or polygraph test, this is a fake technology and is never used in any courts or by investigators including CIA, Israeli Mossad or scotland yard
— Kori bstd (@KoriBstd) June 1, 2018
Now let’s wait for the drama of procuring and tendering of the lie detector machines and the charges of tampering with them
— Mashaa (@manyeki) June 1, 2018
Funny country. So apparently Chapter 6 (Leadership & Integrity) exists for formality. Wafisadi ni wale wale hata wakileta AI such folks will still subvert the results. But honestly do we need machines to test morality and are those things even admissible in court ?
— DavyKN. (@IDayvie) June 2, 2018
