Matiang'i: Money launderers are buying their way to Parliament

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has questioned the sources of funding for some of the top politicians as the country heads in the August elections.

Dr Matiang’i cautioned that money launderers and other criminals taking advantage of lax financial regulations were a threat to the credibility of the August General Election.

“We could end up laundering criminals of unprecedented standards into our elective offices. We might have over 40 per cent of elected officeholders becoming our leaders if we allow all the ‘wash wash’ gangs and other criminals to bribe their way in the coming elections,” said the CS during the National Conference on Criminal Justice Reforms at the Great Rift Valley Lodge in Naivasha, yesterday.

The Cabinet Secretary, however, absolved the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission  (IEBC) from blame for the weak laws, saying a stringent legal regime would need a multi-sectoral approach.

MPs recently amended the law to delete sections that sought to limit the amount of money that parties and candidates could spend during elections.

Dr Matiang'i also identified abuse of social media as another source of concern on elections security and credibility, saying many suspects were still free.

“We have the challenge of multiple bonds issued by our courts and some of the people who have been arrested are enjoying their eighth, ninth or tenth bond,” he said.

Others at the meeting, organised by the National Council on the Administration of Justice, included IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati, Chief Justice Martha Koome, Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji and the Inspector General of Police Hilary Mutyambai.