Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has asked members of the public to elect people of integrity as their leaders in the August 9 elections.
EACC South Rift Regional Education Officer, Ahmed Sadiq said it was unfortunate that most politicians with questionable characters get elected in every election cycle and emphasized the need for civic education.
He said the branch had been holding sessions with universities and tertiary institutions in Baringo, Nakuru, Narok, Bomet and Kericho where they underlined the need for voting in good leaders who can prudently manage public recourse.
“The EACC education department is also targeting churches and mosques during worship days because people need to hear the demerits of leaders who come with loads of money and goodies to buy their votes,” said Sadiq.
He said EACC had so far trained more than 2000 youths adding that the program was ongoing until elections time.
He wondered how the candidates were spending millions of shillings in campaigns yet their salaries for the entire five years would not break even with their expenditure during the campaign.
“Most of these kinds of leaders are either spending stolen public money or ill-gotten funds on the campaign,” he claimed.
Sadiq who was addressing boda boda riders in Nakuru today warned that most politicians who flashed money and goodies to the electorate sought elective positions to go and continue plundering public coffers.
He observed that Kenyans glorified corrupt people because of the hand-outs and freebies they receive from them.
“Voting for a person because of the money and free goods one has received is like selling one’s rights because those politicians feel that they have bought votes and try to recover the money spent once they take office,” he said.
Sadiq urged people to scrutinize candidates' track records in development and their manifestos before electing them.
