Civil society raises fears over use of illicit money in 2022 campaigns

Sheila Masinde, Executive Director, Transparency International-Kenya.

Photo credit: TI

Civil society groups have expressed fears that a lack of campaign spending limits ahead of the August 9 polls has left candidates free to use illicit money, defeating the call for clean elections.

The groups also implored the electoral agency to block political leaders with integrity issues from contesting in the General Election.

Mzalendo Trust Executive Director Caroline Gaita decried the unregulated use of money in campaigns, saying this is likely to promote electoral malpractices like voter bribery, encourage the use of illicit money and distort the fundamental principles of democracy.

She explained that this is the third time Kenya will be conducting its elections without oversight on campaign spending and that money is one of the key determinant factors in the country’s elections. entrenching electoral malpractices in the process.

Last week, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i also questioned the sources of funding for some of the top politicians, cautioning that money launderers and other criminals taking advantage of lax financial regulations were a threat to the credibility of the General Election.

He expressed fears that criminals could bribe their way into elective office.

“Kenya’s elections are some of the most expensive in the world, coming in at number three. Money is giving us leaders with credibility questions and therefore it is important that campaign spending is regulated,” said Ms Gaita.

With the high spending during elections, argued Ms Gaita, special-interest groups like the youth, women and persons with disabilities are at a disadvantage as they cannot compete with the kinds of money being spent by individuals with questionable financial war chests.

Consequently, she called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to quickly come up with regulations and have them immediately gazetted.

“We call on the government to use the available intelligence to ensure that those involved in money laundering and other criminal activities are arrested. Let us not allow criminals to hijack our electoral process and lock out law-abiding citizens who can bring the much-desired leadership change,” she said.

Transparency International-Kenya Executive Director Sheila Masinde said there are several aspirants who have integrity issues, including being implicated in criminal activities, having pending criminal cases in courts, and those impeached, but they have been cleared by their respective parties to contest.

She said that it is possible for candidates with no criminal records to be morally and ethically unfit to run for public office.

To protect the sanctity of Kenya’s elections, she said, individuals with integrity issues should not appear on the August ballot papers.

“There are those cases that are so obvious like glaring breaches, including fake academic certificates, with relevant institutions affirming the same, people caught in cases of violence and hate speech,” she said.

“Do we still need to have the court to declare the same yet there is evidence for actions in breach of Chapter Six of the Constitution?”

Electoral Law and Governance Institute for Africa Executive Director Felix Owuor added that impeached leaders should be ineligible to contest because of integrity and ethical considerations.

“If you are removed from office through an impeachment process, it means you cannot hold any other public office anywhere in the country. This must be upheld to ensure that candidates with questionable characters are not allowed anywhere near leadership of this country,” he said.

Elections Observation Group (ELOG) National Coordinator Mulle Musau explained that safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process is key for elections to be credible, peaceful, free and fair.

“It is important, therefore, that all actors, including members of the public, do their part to contribute to clean elections in August.”