We are all to blame for corrupt leaders
By Editorial.Team, June 2, 2022Kenyan voters – and the institutions charged with enforcing Chapter Six of the Constitution – ought to take an unequivocal position against aspirants and candidates who are facing corruption charges or who have credible integrity questions hanging over their heads.
Nominations for the August 9 General Election have exposed the society’s soft underbelly in the commitment to stop corruption and requiring that those cleared for elective office, are men and women who are beyond reproach on the question of integrity.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has been clearing aspirants to run for the elections. It would have done better by consulting institutions like the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), which yesterday released names of aspirants it said had questions they needed to address before they can have their names cleared to vie.
Aspirants whom the courts have found with cases to answer for various charges including abuse of office, money laundering and other serious crimes are being cleared, meaning that they stand a real chance of making it to Parliament – to represent the public – yet they are suspected of going against public interest in the past. Others facing corruption charges are being cleared to run for governorship, meaning they will be put in charge of public coffers.
We are challenging public agencies and watchdogs to use the intelligence reports which indicate that more than 40 per cent of the elected leaders could be men and women involved in serious crimes, and use their powers to stop them from being on the ballot.
Unless they are stopped now, money launderers and graft-lords are going to determine the course the country will take over the next five years. True, many of these have not been convicted in courts of law, meaning that they are presumed innocent until proven guilty, but anyone with live corruption cases ought, to recuse themselves until their cases are heard and determined.
We acknowledge the position taken by Chief Justice Martha Koome, who has said that anyone who has been impeached in the past stood no chance in running for elective seat. She constituted a three-judge Bench to look into the decision that unless all appeal avenues are exhausted, aspirants should be allowed to run. Such leadership, if it were to come from across all government agencies, would provide clarity and embolden voters to make informed decisions.
When we urge voters to elect leaders who will become “honourable” members of various elective offices, we should emphasise that they should consider only candidates who will bring honour to those offices, not scoundrels.
If we do not do this, we will all be held responsible for the choices Kenyans make at the ballot in August.