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Civil Society organizations have recommended that two former cabinet secretaries, seven governors and other aspirants be barred from contesting for elective seats in the August 8 General Election.
The Civil society groups want ex-Cabinet Secretaries Anne Waiguru (Devolution) and Kazungu Kambi (Labour), as well as seven sitting Governors Evans including Evans Kidero (Nairobi), Hassan Joho (Mombasa), Cyprian Awiti (Homa Bay), Kenneth Lusaka (Bungoma), Mwangi wa Iria (Murang’a), Alfred Mutua (Machakos) and Okoth Obado (Migori) be stopped from seeking or holding any public office.
According to report released by a section of civil society organizations, these individuals should be barred from seeking political office after violating some provisions under Chapter Six of the Constitution, the Elections Act, Leadership and Integrity Act among other laws.
Associate Director of Society for International Development (SID), Houghton Irungu, while releasing the list on Wednesday said that that they examined up to 1,500 cases were, of which the twenty they named were the most significant.
“We picked twenty because we think these are iconic in terms of the moment of truth that we are leaning into. If these twenty are cleared, my sense is that we will as country begin to challenge whether the chapter on integrity is still alive with us,” Irungu said.
Releasing report alongside Transparency International – Kenya Executive Director Sam Kimeu, revealed that their decision to name the twenty were based on key constitutional provisions as outlined in the Leadership and Integrity Act (2012) and Chapter Six of the Constitution.
“There are many standards that could be applied at a time like this. The first is of course a criminal standard that would rest on conviction and imprisonment of a particular candidate but we would find that to be a woefully low standard to apply and possibly an existential threat to the future of the county,” he argued.
“When we’ve looked at the number of convictions we’ve seen on corruption cases, they’re insufficiently few in number so we have to apply an ethical standard,” he added saying that was in fact “the spirit of the Constitution and the Leadership and Integrity Act.”
Others named in the report sanctioned by Inuka ni Sisi and Mzalendo Trust under the auspices of the National Integrity Alliance (NIA), are Nandi Hills legislator Alfred Keter who is accused of abuse of office, obstruction and harassment of legitimate authority at the Gilgil weighbridge on January 21, 2015.
Gatundu South counterpart Moses Kuria is said to be facing several counts including incitement to violence according to reports by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC).
The report says that Anne Waiguru, who is vying for the Kirinyaga gubernatorial seat, is still under investigations for loss of funds at the National Youth Service (NYS) during her tenure at the Ministry of Devolution and Planning adding that she is unfit to hold any public office.
Kazungu Kambi on the other hand faces queries from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) over the irregular authorization of a Sh5.05 billion budget Tassia Phase 2 project of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) which is said to have been exaggerated.
Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua faces investigation by EACC for alleged irregular procurement of 16 Subaru vehicles worth Sh147.3 million, ambulances worth Sh145.3 million and the construction of Kithimani-Makutano road at a cost of Sh568 million.
ODM Deputy party leader and Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho is under the EACC radar for questionable academic credentials, according to the report.
Laikipia North MP Mathew Lempurkel, Elizabeth Ongoro, Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi former Judiciary Registrar Gladys Shollei for procurement irregularities in the purchase of the official residence of the Chief Justice at a cost of Sh310 million, Kiambu gubernatorial aspirant Ferdinand Waititu who is said to be facing allegations of hate speech and questionable academic qualifications, Tiaty MP Asman Kamama for his involvement in Baringo clashes are others who are in the list of those recommended for barring.
Comments
Ali Hassan Joho should be removed from this list. Why? We are using foreign academic standards to elect our future leaders. If John Major, the former British prime minister did not have a college degree and all the education he acquired was given through his mother tongue, then how strange and wrong are we to use foreign academic standards to elect our leaders?
Our Southern neighbor (Tanzania) was colonized by the same people who colonized us. How come we are still "English - holics" while Tanzania is not! Today is exactly 54 years since OAU was formed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. How long are we going to worship foreign religions ( Mohammedanism ( Islam) & Yeshivism (Christianity) and languages - English in an independent Kenya 53 years since we attained our independence on 12/12/1963 from the British?
It is true Kaka Joho lied about his academic record in order to be elected. What he did is what I call, "victim less crimes." Nobody was hurt or suffered any financial loss as a result of his lying on this issue! He should be removed from the list.
Solution:
In order to stop electing "constitutional illiterates " leaders in the future elections, each and everyone aspiring to be elected as a public servant, must pass a "constitutional test " in our national language Kiswahili. This way, we can eliminate the time wasted in parliament with servants not aware of violating the constitution as we have seen Uhuru and Chirchir do during their entire corrupt regime!
Translate medical terms into Swahili and start teaching health workers in Swahili to stop being 'English - holics'
What can you say about his together with Sonko,Mwau,Wambu,Murungaru,Nyaga,Muthama,Punjan
pharmacy business?
@Kenya. Tanzania has already met your request. All Scientific lexical items have already been translated into Swahili language.
For example the Swahili word for cancer is , "saratani."
We must be willing and have the courage to disassociate ourselves from the thinking and acting inferior instead of appreciating ourselves at the same time not putting anybody down.
For example, should we have "foreign names" as a part of our identity? Should we promote "junk food" to our children and therefore make it easier for our children to develop diabetes and high blood pressure? Should we worship foreign gods?
For those who are old enough to remember, "missionaries" lied to us that when we die we shall go to heaven. They further promoted their fake ideas that only the poor will inherit the kingdom of their god in heaven. Meanwhile the settlers were busy stealing our land and the administrators taking our ancestors in jail when they violated the "unjust laws" that they had made in order to humiliate us and control us.
@ Mkenya, Waswahili husema, " Palipo na nia na njia." Anything can be done. Just play your part!
@Msema Kweli, Swahili is not indigenous mother tongue of 99% of Kenyans either!
@Kenjuu.
You are right, " ... Swahili is not indigenous mother tongue of 99% of Kenyans either!"
Today (May 25, 2017) is a very special day in the history of Africa. Why? Leaders of independent African nations met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to form the "Organisation of African Unity."
Personally, I don't mind if Giriama language would be developed to such a level that it can function as a national language that can meet our national, social, or our and academic demands. I wouldn't mind to hear the greetings, "zalamkaze - good morning" instead of the French "Bonjour?"
@Kenjuu:
Swahili language developed from the Bantu language family . This family has the largest number of speakers in Africa. It originates from Cameroon, and stretches all the way to South Africa and extends north to Kenya where it stops. The Bantu language family produced Swahili language. This family (Bantu) has the largest number of speakers in the entire continent of Africa. I have no problems in making any of the many African languages spoken as our national or official language of any country in Africa. What I cannot accommodate in the thinking that only colonial languages can meet the demands of a functioning national or official language.
I have a lot of respect for my Jewish brothers and sisters as a people with a "will" to be recognized as part of the people on the our planet. They are not alone among the nations of the world who have experienced humiliation by another powerful external group. Despite what they have gone through as an oppressed people, they were able to revive their language - Hebrew and made it official an also reclaimed their lost history.
@ Kenjuu, let us go stand tall and make direct link with our ancestors through borrowing only scientific knowledge from all over the world but maintain our traditional names, culture, religion as what the Jews have done.
@Msema Kweli, why dont you set an example by writing your comments in Swahili. Alafu "saratani" is easy....what is "helium" in Swahili? N i still dont get how getting an education comes down to speaking English
All thieves including suspects must be stopped from holding public office at all costs. Petty thieves have been lynched while the big thieves are walking free all over. Look at Kidero; raped mumias, and the victims of his crime are felt all over by investors. And now he is a happy camper in Nairobi. Uneducated drug Barron's are also amongst us. It is time we act.