ABSTRACT
This chapter draws on fieldwork carried out between 1997 and 2005 among Burundians in Burundi itself, and in Tanzania, Kenya, Belgium, and Denmark, where they had moved in order to escape the civil war in their country. It argues that the corruption narratives seek to unravel power by trying to unveil hidden connections and causalities. The chapter explains the success of some politicians and the misfortune of others, relying on a perception of political power as depending heavily on hidden practices and on concealing true intentions. It shows how ordinary Burundians express their discomfort with the political leadership and morally evaluate politics and politicians through stories about corruption and dirty, secret deals. The chapter explores how corruption narratives are used to morally evaluate politics, arguing that such narratives reveal an intimate relationship between power and secrecy. Before analyzing corruption narratives in Burundi it may first, however, be fruitful to explore the parallels with a closely related topic, namely witchcraft narratives.
