The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has blacklisted 241 aspirants seeking elective posts in the August 9 elections as having integrity issues related to corruption and economic crime.
The list has been forwarded to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for guidance on whether they ought to vie in the elections for failing to meet the Chapter 6 requirement on integrity.
“EACC considers these persons to have fallen short of the moral and ethical standards stipulated for election to public office. EACC hopes that IEBC will make appropriate decisions guided by constitutional values and public interest,” the ethics commission said in a statement.
The listed persons were verified from a pool of 21,863 persons seeking registration as Presidential, Gubernatorial, Senate, Member of Parliament and Member of County Assembly candidates.
They include Murang’a governor Mwangi wa Iria, a presidential aspirant under Usawa kwa Wote party, who is alleged to have destroyed evidence and obstructed EACC detectives from executing a search warrant in addition to amassing Sh542 million alleged to be proceeds of corruption.
Mr Justus Onyango Juma, a presidential aspirant under Justice and Freedom Party has been flagged for registering with a fake identification card belonging to one Hannah Wairimu Kiguru.
Joseph Waithaka, the former governor of Nyandarua, has been flagged for failing to comply with procurement laws in the awarding of a water project to a foreign based company.
Former Nairobi governor Evans Kidero has been flagged for irregularly awarding Sh28 million payment to a private company associated with his brother and the irregular payment of Sh68 million to a law firm and private company that later transferred the money to a company associated with him. The matter is in court.
Garissa governor Ali Korane has been flagged for a matter in court that links him to embezzlement of public funds amounting to Sh233.5 million from the Garissa County urban support programme.
Others are Tana River governor Goghana Dhadho who is accused of irregularly awarding and exaggerating the value of a tender to supply motorcycles and vehicles to the county government. Mike Sonko is flagged for having been impeached during his term as Nairobi governor as well as a money laundering and conspiracy to defraud, a case that is active in court.
Tharaka Nithi governor Muthomi Njuki for a pending abuse of office matter that is in court and Kirinyaga governor Anne Waiguru for the irregular receipt of travel imprests amounting to Sh10,634,614 for non-existent trips and conspiracy to pay a private company Sh52 million.
MPs flagged in the list are UDA’s Mohamed Ali, former Kiambu woman representative Anne Gathecha who seeking to be elected as running mate to Thika MP Patrick Wainaina’s Kiambu gubernatorial bid.
Other flagged politicians include Kiambu’s Karungo Thang’wa, Migori governor Okoth Obado, Danson Mungatata, Lilian Mbogo, Gladys Shollei, Alfred Mutua and Alfred Keter amongst others.
Their number is, however, limited to investigations conducted by the commission.
It could go high if a bench constituted to hear and determine petitions filed in court seeking clarification on the integrity threshold for elective office makes clear as to who that mandate falls under.
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