Using public funds for political campaigns unfair and fraudulent

It is becoming increasingly apparent that incumbent politicians are abusing their positions by using State or county resources to gain political capital. In some cases, taxpayers’ money is irregularly used to launch activities that belong to campaign platforms.

More commonly, county resources such as vehicles and drivers are used to transport governors to official functions even when it is clear that these functions serve as platforms for political campaigns. Under the law, leaders such governors are provided with security, drivers and support staff — resources paid for by our taxes. But rather than use these resources to provide first-class service to Kenyans, they are abusing this privilege.

There is no denying that it can be difficult to determine if official speeches on matters development that veer on electioneering contravene the law. This is because in State and county functions, political rhetoric often dominates. But there are cases when violations are clear. For instance, counties are increasingly publicising their development record in unmarked advertorial supplements designed to promote particular politicians. Not surprisingly, some petitioners have moved to court and argued that the use of public resources for political campaigns is in violation of Section 14 of the Elections Act.

In all likelihood, it will be left to the courts to make a determination of whether or not the demarcation between State/county functions and campaigns are distinct enough. Judgements from the petitions that have been filed in the courts can offer useful guidelines.

The use of State or county resources for the purposes of electioneering is not only unfair, it is also fraudulent. To act as a deterrent, courts must nullify the results of an election if the petitioner proves that the laws on campaign finances were violated. We should not allow unscrupulous politicians to subvert the democratic process by abusing the State resources at their disposal.