Block 106 candidates in EACC list of shame, activists tell IEBC
Rights watchdogs insist that the electoral commission should bar from August polls the 106 politicians the anti-graft body flagged as having integrity issues.
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 the IEBC has the moral and constitutional duty not to gazette the aspirants they said are a blot 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 Transparency International Executive Director Samuel Kimeu.
“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 (SID), 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
The IEBC received their nomination papers between May 28 and July 2.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) then released to the IEBC names of 106 individuals it said had integrity issues in its files.
Of the 106, the EACC is investigating 11 people running for governor, one for senator, two for county woman representative, 13 for MP, and 14 for ward representative.
Candidates who have pending cases, the breakdown of the EACC data by the IEBC shows, are six for governor, two for senator, one for woman representative, nine for MP, and 23 for MCA.
On Thursday, Mr Kimeu said implementation of Chapter Six is a requirement for all Kenyans.
OTHERS
“Chapter Six is part of our Constitution, and it has set a standard that is applicable and enforceable,” he said.
He called on the other members of the Chapter Six Working Group — the Commission for University Education, the Attorney-General, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions — to also release their reports to follow that of the EACC.
“We want them made public. Let us know what they recommended,” he said.
Mr Kimeu insisted that the push to bar candidates with integrity issues is not a futile exercise.
“There might be some grey areas in the Constitution, but the general agreement is clear that if you have unresolved issues, you should not be cleared,” said Mr Kimeu.
IEBC STAND
SID’s Irungu Houghton said that the push for integrity in public service is “absolutely necessary”.
“We are saying: Do not gazette people who are in the EACC list, unless the IEBC can contravene the evidence by the EACC,” said Mr Houghton.
As the alliance targeted candidates it said are not clean, it remains to be seen if they can actually be barred after they were given IEBC nomination certificates to run for office.
It is also not clear how the agency can circumvent its own mantra that it can only bar candidates who have been convicted, and not those facing cases and or have pending appeals or have exhausted such avenues.
“An appeal does not clear you, really,” said Mr Kimeu. “And it should not only be on criminal standards to disqualify people. There are many others.”
