New law seeks to curb illegal campaign cash

A Bill which seeks to clean up elections by eliminating bribery of voters and use of excess cash during campaigns is set to be introduced in Parliament on Tuesday.

Should the Bill be passed into law, it will commit political bigwigs who use public resources, including official vehicles in campaigns, to a jail term of two years or a Sh2 million fine.

The proposed law also seeks to stop business people and other special interest groups who seek to finance prospective politicians to Parliament to champion their specific objectives.

The Election Campaign Finance Bill, published by the National Assembly’s Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs, prescribes harsh penalties for candidates, political parties and voters during campaigns.

The Bill was sent to the committee for publication by Attorney General Githu Muigai. It states, from the onset: “A Bill for an Act of Parliament to provide for the regulation, management, expenditure and accountability of election campaign funds during election and referendum campaigns; and for connected purposes.”

The proposed law was supposed to have been passed before the last campaigns but a spirited move by MPs in the last Parliament blocked its debate.

It fixes the amount of money a politician can use in an election and also slams the door shut on those who use public money, sometimes drawn from the accounts of parastatals, in their campaigns.

The proposed law will apply to party nominations as well, and it will regulate sources of campaign money.

Its intention is to bridge the funding gap among political parties, curb corruption, limit the influence of special interests, limit the impact of money on the outcome of elections and force parties to be accountable to members.

The aims to safeguard against the use of illegal resources to promote interests of candidates.