Should the 106 aspirants with integrity issues be barred from August polls?

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Rights watchdogs insist that the electoral commission should bar the 106 politicians the anti-graft body flagged as having integrity issues from August polls.

The Kenya National Integrity Alliance on Thursday argued that unless the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) could contradict the evidence presented by the ethics body, then the 106 suspects should not be given the green light to be on the ballot.

GAZETTE

The team said IEBC had the moral and constitutional duty not to gazette the aspirants they said were a bloat to the implementation of the Constitution’s ambitious Chapter Six.

“Even though the certificates have been issued, we know the final list of candidates that will be on the ballot is yet to be gazetted by the IEBC,” explained Mr Samuel Kimeu, the Transparency International Executive Director.

“Only those candidates of unquestionable integrity should be cleared to run for office in August.”

The alliance, made up of TI-Kenya, Society for International Development, Mzalendo Trust and Inuka Ni Sisi, had released names of 20 politicians they said should never have been cleared by the IEBC.

23 MCA HOPEFULS

IEBC received their nomination papers between May 28- July 2.

The Ethics and Anti-corruption (EACC) then released to the IEBC names of 106 individuals it said had integrity issues in its files.

Of the 106, those that the EACC is investigating are 11 running for governor, one for Senate, two for County Woman Representative, 13 for MP, and 14 for the Member of the County Assembly.

Those that have pending cases, the breakdown of the EACC data by the IEBC shows, are six governor, two Senate, one woman representative, nine MP, and 23 MCA hopefuls.

On Thursday, Mr Kimeu said implementation of Chapter Six was a requirement for all Kenyans.

Source: Daily Nation