A bill that proposes to limit harambee donations to a maximum of Sh100,000 per individual has sharply divided Embu leaders.
The Public Officer Ethics (Amendment) Bill, 2019, by National Assembly Minority leader John Mbadi also wants the source of the money declared to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.
Mbadi, who is the Suba South MP, says the bill - if enacted into law - will help end the culture of elected politicians and other public officers splashing bundles of money, mostly traced to corrupt activities. He wants sections 13, 26, 28 and 30 of the Act amended to ensure that no money corruptly obtained finds its way into fundraising activities to hoodwink voters.
Yesterday, former Manyatta MP Emilio Kathuri and Senate aspirant Joshua Kanake supported the bill. Kathuri said self-seeking politicians abuse their offices and extort money from other Kenyans for fundraisers.
Kanake said politicians should not be allowed to donate more than a third of their salaries. He said some politicians steal from projects to give at fundraisers so voters think they are generous when they are not. He said funds such as the CDF are being misused by lawmakers who have their eyes trained on reelection.
Former Runyenjes MP Njeru Kathangu and former Embu Woman Representative Rose Mitaru dismissed the bill as ill-intended.
Kathangu, the self-styled mutumishi, said the proposal is political, malicious and not intended to help in the fight against corruption.
He said fund-drives are meant to promote unity and pooling resources for the benefit of communities, institutions or individuals. It's wrong to introduce checks and involve the EACC in harambees as that would discourage people from helping one another, Kathangu said.
The draft law will essentially criminalise generosity and philanthropists will be taken captives, he added.
Kathangu said when the CDF kitty and devolution were introduced, the aim was to get rid of fundraisers.
For Mitaru, the bill does not make sense as not every person who donates generously has stolen. The canon of the Anglican Church of Kenya said politicians have many sources of income.
(Edited by F'Orieny)
