Do not vote for corrupt leaders in 2017 elections, Attorney General Githu Muigai tells Kenyans

Attorney General Githu Muigai

Attorney General Githu Muigai has asked voters to block corrupt leaders in the next year's polls as part of the country's resolve to fight corruption.

Prof Muigai said the country will only win the war on graft by picking leaders who are not tainted with corrupt deals.

This comes at a time when a civil organisation group had given President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration six months to conclude Chickengate and the National Youth Service (NYS) scandals before the August 8, 2017 general election.

In its Jubilee Administration Anti-Corruption Report Card, Society for International Development (SID) rated Jubilee lowly in the fight.

The report observes that President Uhuru's administration had failed to fight corruption despite making pre-election pledges to deal with the scourge that remains the main challenge for the country's economic take off.

The AG alluded to claims that Parliamentary committees mandated to investigate corruption allegations were not helping in the fight as they are being compromised to make good reports.

"Even as we approach the elections, the question we must ask, it is not a question about a political party but individuals. Whether individuals are fit and proper to serve in a responsible position such as Member of Parliament," he said.

"Because if that does not happen then we get into another phase that you know so well; set out the house and committee and begin a new narrative that the committees are not working because they have been compromised. We need to check this at the beginning not at the end," said Prof Muigai.

He said corruption cycle in the country starts with the financing of campaigns.

"We should support IEBC to do the monitoring better, EACC should heighten its surveillance and the rest of us should not remove their eyes," he said.

SID said President Uhuru's administration had failed to strengthen anti-graft institutions, legislative and police framework as well as promotion of transparency and public participation.

"Fast-tract all pending investigations and cases specifically the National Youth Service scandal and IEBC election Kit Procurement (Chicken Gate) given their scale and significance for the upcoming elections," demanded the report.

Several former senior government officials and business people have been charged in relation to the NYS scandal but the blame game still continues as the National Assembly Public Accounts Committee investigate the theft of over Sh1b.

Former Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru was adversely mentioned in the ongoing investigations.

Other high profile individuals mentioned in the scandal are Elgeyo/Maraket Senator Kipchumba Murkomen and Deputy President William Ruto's aide Farouk Kibet.

The group further want Jubilee to publicly reaffirm and increase resources to ensure the independence of the Office of the Auditor General.

The group also want the finalization and enactment of the draft Bribery bill, the Whistle-Blowers Bill 2016 and the Parastatals Bill 2016.