The term cartel has been used so often in relation to corruption. It originally represented a group of people mainly working together to influence market prices by controlling the production and sales of products, colluding to maximise joint profits.
When we refer to cartels in relation to corruption what exactly do we mean? Have your say……
A group of individuals working together first and foremost to break the values and the laws of the collective community or institution, at the behest of other more powerful individual(s) or for their own personal benefit. The individuals gain a controlling hand over the legitimate structure of intuitions and resources. They have no long-term interest vested on the continuity of the institution and may seek to destroy it in order to establish a parallel company which they have complete ownership over, a vehicle used to freely violet laws that govern the welfare of society.
Cartel are cowards without real talent which they could draw upon to establish a good thing, the predatory aspect thrive on perpetuation of acts which violates humanity. Cartels morph into a Mafia like body which engages in illegal substance, gains political control and influence to guarantee its continuity and protection.
In summary a cartel is a group of individuals who thrives on illegality. Aim to establish monopoly status. Operations are most extensive where the judiciary is extremely weak or completely compromised.
Actual case example is the sugar, maize, coffee, pyrethrum etc. shenanigans.
What you have written fails to bring out the accurate meaning of the word ‘Cartel’. OPEC is a cartel the Sugar Barons in Kenya are a cartel.
A cartel aims at controlling a market. It may not necessary involve itself in illegal activities. Cartels are also weaker than monopolies.Pharmaceutical firms operate like cartels…drug lords of Columbia operate as cartels.
Cartels can be formal or informal.
This is good definition. At least you have forced some sense down my throat. But i always say cartels is an excuse for misfiring leaders. Like Sonko, Kidero, Willy Mutunga, when they cannot perform, they blame the cartels. I say excuse because, cartels can be defeated by transparency. Cartels are dark forces and only exist where there is no light. So again, we can only blame the systems and society for existing in darkness.
Hawa ni moto wa kuotea mbali, a group of friends and I tried entering the sugar market around 2 years ago, bringing sugar from Malawi, hatujawahi chomeka hivo, they elbow out any new entrant by lowering the buying price of sugar, we took a 30% loss, hio biz sijawahi taka kuisikia tena.