Former Mombasa Gubernatorial candidate Suleiman Shabhal has said that corruption is a thorn in the flesh of Kenyans. This comes just after the release of the EACC report on corruption.
In a Facebook post, Shabhal said that corruption starts with our leaders. He warned that there is no way Kenyans will hold the leaders accountable if they accept to be bribed to vote. The businessman argued that it is sad to note that Kenyans believe that they must be given a facilitation fee before they can attend any political event. He further asked Kenyans to reject bribes if they want to see some change.
"Today in most parts of Kenya, the public won’t attend any political meeting unless they are given facilitation," he said.
He also said that the churches and Mosques have failed the nation in the war against graft. Shabhal said that religious leaders need to reject funding from corrupt leaders if the war has to bear fruits.
The businessman turned politician also added that the government needs to revisit the procurement procedures. He argued that billions of public funds keep getting lost because of poor procurement procedures.
"We need to relook at our procurement procedures to address the breeding grounds of corruption – our procurement systems and rules were inherited from the British over 50 years ago and they haven’t changed much," he posed.
He further said that it is the responsibility of all Kenyans to ensure that graft is a thing of the past, adding that all corrupt individuals should be barred from office.
"Anyone convicted of corruption or abuse of office should be permanently barred from public service. People will not change unless the sword of total ex-communication hangs over them," he said.