Value System dissemination as a Remedy against corruption in Kenya; A Reading of Jeremiah 35:6-10

Corruption is a great social problem in Kenya today. Many efforts have been put into place in order to fight and mitigate it. They include the Kenyan constitution review, putting up of laws, anti-corruptions commissions and joining anti-corruption conventions. After all this input, corruption still remains a runaway problem. As a remedy against corruption, the word of God which is the supreme rule of life and doctrine, is presented by this paper. The book of Jeremiah 35:6-10 forms part of the narrative that clearly spells the obedience of father’s command from one generation to another of the house of Jonadab son of Rechab. This narrative comes from a context of Judah’s disobedience of the word of God spoken by the prophets. The Rechabites on the other hand obeyed their father in all the prohibitions he had given them. They were never to drink wine, never to build houses, not sow seeds or crops or to plant vineyards and to always live in tents. This paper brings out the reality of corruption in Kenya which as a social problem, its effects and impact, and how the exegeted word of God in Jeremiah 35:6-10 is used to address this great vice. The interventions come about by the inculcation of value system proposed by the example of the Rechabites, who stood strong against taking wine, even when persuaded. They followed the instruction of their father, Jonadab son of Rechab and would not go against it. This formed a value system for the Rechabites. The connection of this text with the corruption in Kenya is because corruption is a social evil that is passed on from one generation to another. This paper presents the reality to mitigate corruption through instilling a value system to the future generations. The word of God in this text therefore presents a community that followed their ancestors in whatever they were instructed to do and not to do, as a way of instilling values from a father to their posterity. It will therefore mitigate against the vice of corruption both to individuals and corporately in Kenya. Keywords: Values, Rechabites, Corruption, Deuteronomist, Jeremiah