Name and shame push at heart of bribery war
A nationwide campaign to end voter bribery has been proposed, to include strategies to name and shame those engaging in the malpractice.
This follows findings of a survey that show that a large percentage of Kenyans still condone voter bribery, resulting in election of corrupt and undeserving leaders.
The campaign is proposed under a multi stakeholder integrated action plan to end voter bribery in the country, to include voter education designed to include bribery sensitisation as well as other election related offences. It will also include awareness on laws touching on corruption and election related processes.
Under the plan proposed by the Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD) and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) foundation, there is strengthening prosecution systems and processes touching on voter bribery and other election malpractices and pushing for full implementation of all election law and legislation that can directly help end voter bribery.
ELECTION LAWS
According to findings of the CMD/KAS commissioned survey conducted by Interthoughts Consulting and analysed by Javas Bigambo, strict implementation of election laws and a heightened campaign monitoring process could help fight voter bribery.
More than two thirds of the respondents (78 per cent) gave proposals touching on improvement of the administration of the election process, particularly calling on institutions tasked to fight electoral malpractices to be more proactive and rise up and deliver on their statutory mandates.
KAS says more needs to be done in fighting voter bribery and no stone should be left unturned.
“A lot more work needs to be done by all stakeholders to unearth the full extent of this phenomenon and to consequently act on the recommendation of this report and others that may follow,” says KAS Kenya office country representative Jan Cernicky.
Dr Cernicky, speaking at the Burch Resort in Naivasha at an engagement with the Association of Political Journalists in Kenya, expressed hope that findings and recommendations of the report would help address electoral malpractices in the country beyond the coming elections.
CONSTANT REMINDER
“As the country runs up to elections later this year, the data compiled in this survey should be a constant reminder for all Kenyans as we approach the election.
"If voters are not careful to cast their votes for leaders who address the issues that affect their community and go ahead to cast their votes for other reasons such as bribery and tribal affiliations, they cannot expect their interests to be met by leaders they elect,” he states.
CMD-Kenya Executive Director Carey Onyango, on the other hands, says voter bribery negatively interferes with results of elections, thus unduly influences the people’s choice of political leaders.
“It contributes to the limitation of opportunities for credible candidates and their bid for political offices and it also adversely affects economic activity and development prospects for Kenyans at large,” he states.
Respondents in the survey also proposed that all political party leaders should be held personally responsible and accountable for any voter bribery incidences committed by their party members.
It was also suggested that specific penalties be imposed on political parties whose members engage in bribery.
To this end, political parties are advised to carry out robust campaigns to sensitise their members and sustain the voter bribery agenda on their campaign programmes.
