Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi now wants politicians with pending court cases to vacate their offices and be blocked from seeking political positions until their cases are heard and determined.
Wandayi who has lined up the amendments to the Leadership and Integrity Act 2012 and the Elections Act 2011 says the move is geared towards weeding out politicians with moral and integrity questions from ascending to public office.
“Persons who are facing corruption charges in court will be barred from being nominated as candidates for elective positions,
“I am concerned that as a country and despite the very progressive chapter six of our Constitution, we have tended to believe that people who are corrupt can implement integrity and anti-corruption laws when elected to leadership positions,” he said on Monday, September 27.
This comes at a time when the EACC and DPP have deplored gaps in law as a stumbling block to their efforts to nail graft suspects.
Kivumbi.co.ke has compiled a list of Governors, MPs, and other politicians facing criminal charges arising from suspected theft of public resources, fraud, and murder who might be blocked from seeking elective positions in the 2022 General Elections if the new amendments are adopted.
Rigathi Gachagua
Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua is accused of acquiring KSh.3 billion from proceeds of crime between 2013 and 2020.
The counts include conspiracy to commit an offense of corruption, fraudulent acquisition of public property, conflict of interest, money laundering, and acquisition of proceeds of crime.
Gachagua has however assembled a team of 10 lawyers in the case in which he faces six counts, to clean his name ahead of the 2022 General Election
Babu Owino
Embakasi East MP Paul Ongili alias Babu Owino is facing attempted murder charges.
This is after the vocal ODM legislator pulled the trigger and shot Felix Orinda popularly known as DJ Evolve in January 2020, an incident that resulted in the court trial.
In March 2021, the victim wanted to withdraw the criminal case on grounds he and the lawmaker were good friends, a request that a magistrate court declined.
Through a letter dated September 21, 2020, addressed to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Court’s Executive Officer, the victim and his family indicated that the court case was affecting his healing process due to divided attention, the Daily Nation reported.
Evans Kidero
Former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero is also facing graft charges in court and would thus be locked out of the Homa Bay governor election.
Kidero, who has declared interests to succeed Homa Bay Governor Cyprian Awiti is under investigation by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission as he could not explain how he acquired his assets valued at KSh 8 billion
Ayub Savula
Lugari MP Ayub Savula and his wives, Melody Gatwiri and Hellen Jepkorir Kemboi, were charged with defrauding the government KSh122 million by alleging they could offer advertising services in magazines with a wide circulation in Kenya.
The Amani National Congress deputy party leader allegedly forged a signature in a letter that was purported to have originated from the Ministry of Health.
Judy Sirma, a public relations officer in the ministry, denied ever authoring a letter dated January 10, 2017, which introduced the MP, his wives, or their company to the Government Advertising Agency (GAA).
- Oscar Sudi
Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi is facing a criminal case over allegations of falsifying his academic credentials.
Sudi was elected on a Jubilee party ticket but has since shifted his allegiance to United Democratic Alliance (UDA) a political party heavily associated with Kenya’s Deputy Presiden William Ruto.
He is battling nine criminal counts related to forgery of official academic documents, making a false statutory declaration, and providing false information to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) while seeking clearance to vie for the parliamentary seat in 2013.
Aisha Jumwa
Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa together with her bodyguard Geoffrey Otieno Okuto was accused of killing a supporter of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party.
It was reported that Jumwa stormed avenue where a meeting was being held in 2019 during the Ganda Ward by-election where a scuffle ensued which saw an Orange Democratic Movement supporter Nguymbao Jola was shot dead.
The meeting was convened for ODM agents to strategise on how they would conduct the mini-poll.
Okoth Obado
Migori Governor Okoth Obado was implicated in the murder of Rongo University Student, Sharon Otieno.
Already, six witnesses, among them pathologist Johansen Oduor and government analyst Kimani Mungai have given evidence in the case before Justice Cecilia Githua.
The body of the second-year Medical Records and Information student was found dumped in a thicket in Oyugis in Homa Bay in September 2018, a day after she was abducted.
Other legislators who have been implicated in criminal activities include Kibwezi West MP Patrick Musimba who was charged with conspiracy to defraud more than KSh1.1 billion from Chase Bank.
Others include Embakasi North MP James Gakuya and Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter who were charged with the fraudulent acquisition of Sh39 million CDF monies and forgery of KSh633 million Treasury bills respectively.
