Green Thinking Action Party chairman Isaac Kalua says more than 350 politicians who sought the party’s nomination failed at vetting stage.
“We lost more than 350 aspirants whom we found did not have the requisite papers and others did not have the endorsement from their local churches or communities,” Kalua said.
He said the unqualified politicians however got back their money.
Kalua said there was a strict proviso that in order to merit the party's ticket, one had to be endorsed by the church, mosque or a community-based group.
Kalua said for one to feel that he was ripe for elective leadership and paying nomination money was not enough to earn one a GTAP ticket. He said recommendation from religious groups or community organization was a key consideration.
“How can one fail to be trusted by a church or a local community group? The implication is that such a person will become deceitful leader. We returned the money from such aspirants,” Kalua said.
He spoke at the Kitui stadium on Saturday when he paraded party's candidates nominated to seek elective position in Kitui county during the August 9 polls.
He said his party had to set the precedence to keep off wealth self-seekers out to enrich themselves through political office.
“It time Kenya come up with a leaders vetting process. You cannot stand up and say you are a leader because your wife or son told you so. You must be a communitarian to handle issues affecting Kenyans,” he added.
Kalua said lack of a vetting mechanism for leaders seeking political office had caused the myriad of problems Kenyans were faced with. He attributed the same to dishonest leadership of people who do not have the requisite academic papers.
He said Kenyans had to make fundamental changes in order to get thin on track. "Nothing goes wrong. Everything starts wrong. As a country we must wake up and start doing things right.'
“It is not time to tell lies. The cost of living is unbearable and the only way out it to make people do business and do things that can change their lives for the better. We must be truthful from our hearts,” he added.
(edited by Amol Awuor)
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