It’s the kind of proposal that could seem like a great idea. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said Sunday that, to fight corruption, he wants youth to start making citizens’ arrests. “The power is in your hands to end this vice in this country,” he said.

There’s no question Kenya needs to do something. Corruption is rampant, and Mr. Kenyatta has tried everything from introducing lie detector tests for some government officials to declaring corruption a national security threat. But Kenya’s spot on a key corruption index isn’t moving much.

Around the world, leaders often try to distract citizens from problems at home by embarking on “anticorruption drives” that are more style than substance. You’ll see a story in today’s issue on that trend in the Arab world. In Kenya, lie detector tests and citizens’ arrests sound decisive, but they show a lack of understanding about what actually works.

Look at Hong Kong. Its economic success, many say, is directly tied to its astounding success in overcoming a legacy of deep corruption in the 1970s. Yes, change began with punishment. But locals say something else mattered more: a long-term commitment to teach and promote honesty and fairness across society, starting with the kindergarten curriculum. “We don't teach them about the laws, but we teach them about the values,” an official with the pioneering Independent Commission Against Corruption told CNN. “Nowadays in Hong Kong, people will never tolerate corruption.”

Now, here are our five stories of the day. Two of them – the Arab anticorruption story and one about “mobile money” in Zimbabwe – look in different ways at the issue of trust in society. We also look at a multibillion-euro effort to save small-town France.