Senator Cherargei renews push for mandatory lifestyle audit on all public officers

Nandi County Senator Samson Cherargei has renewed calls for all state officers to undergo a mandatory lifestyle audit.

Speaking at the Senate on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, the vocal Nandi Senator pointed out that the recent protests and demands raised by demonstrators require an immediate response through a wealth audit.

Cherargei told his colleagues that some of the protesters were concerned over how lawmakers had accumulated wealth yet the government was sinking in a debt trap.

The outspoken lawmaker noted that some public officers have gone ahead to flaunt their wealth to Kenyans who are struggling to make ends meet.

Moreover, Cherargei wondered how political leaders were raising millions in harambees yet the country is deprived off development.

“We must start doing lifestyle audits to all of us, state officers and all governors. Any person who is serving in a public office we must do lifestyle audit,” Cherargei stated.

“The reason Kenyans were on the streets is because they are wondering how can you contribute Ksh20 million in an harambee and yet they don’t even have a Ksh100,” Cherargei added.

The Nandi Senator called on President William Ruto and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to institute a way of conducting a public lifestyle audit.

Cherargei emphasised that the country deserves to know how political leaders amassed their wealth which they are flaunting on various social media platforms.

We must start doing lifestyle audits to all of us, state officers and all governors. Any person who is serving in a public office we must do lifestyle audit. The reason Kenyans were on the streets is because they are wondering how can you contribute Sh20 million in an harambee… pic.twitter.com/HEsVxvqtcl

— Mzalendo (@MzalendoWatch) July 3, 2024

Senators voice their concerns

Cherargei’s sentiments were echoed by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna insisted that an embargo should be placed on political leaders participating in public harambees.

“Political leaders should be banned from harambees to avoid giving them the platform to showcase opulence as we have seen in the past few days,” Sifuna stated.

Nairobi Senator @edwinsifuna: Political leaders should be banned from harambees to avoid giving them the platform to showcase opulence as we have seen in the past few days. #SenateLive pic.twitter.com/Kh4HzQSOjN

— Senate of Kenya (@Senate_KE) July 3, 2024

On the other hand, Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale wondered how a young Member of Parliament had acquired a helicopter. Khalwale further claimed that the Finance Bill 2024 protests was just a trigger of what is ailing the country.

“We are where we are today because Kenyans hate and are angry with the ongoings in the country and if we don’t speak to them and take action, we will go nowhere. It was never the Finance Bill, the Finance Bill was a trigger,” Khalwale stated.

EACC on lifestyle audits

EACC had launched plans to conduct lifestyle audits on all state officers to combat graft. In February 2023, Kisumu County was brought to attention with EACC vowing to carry out lifestyle audits on the staff.

This followed a probe on the county books where tens of millions of shillings had been looted in the form of imprests.

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