Integrity crisis rocks Kenyan Parliament as MPs battle criminal cases

The vocal Nandi Hills MP and nominated MP Sonia Birdi are seeking to clear their names after they were charged in a Naivasha court with creating disturbances, incitement and using the name of the President to invoke fear. The weighbridge drama was captured in a secret camera. The two MPs denied the charges and are out on a bond of Sh300,000 or cash bail of Sh150,000 awaiting hearing and determination of their case.

NAIROBI: It is a case of lawmakers turned into suspected lawbreakers. It is a story of Members of Parliament battling for their political future in the face of damning charges of heinous crimes such as rape, fraud, hate speech and incitement.

To date, at least 17 MPs have been charged in court for serious criminal offences. The charges against five were dropped (because of lack of evidence), but still the courts have 12 MPs struggling to clear their names from the different charges including fraud, forgery, hate speech, rape, corruption and incitement to violence.