Don’t vote for impeached leaders, Declares DPP Haji
Posted on Wednesday, May 4, 2022
Author: Rading Biko
Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji at a past event. [Courtesy]
The Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji has now said he will explore the options through the National Council on the Administration of Justice where he is the vice-chair. He stated that the leaders who had been impeached from their former positions are not expected to still vie for other roles in the elections.
Haji dismissed the perception that his office stopped corruption prosecutions against sitting politicians, saying that he only prioritizes election-related cases.
This is a matter of grave concern for Kenyans having leaders who are accused of corruption yet still purport to go back into office with fabricated ideas of bringing about change.
Noordin Haji has said administrative measures should be explored to bar corrupt politicians from vying in the coming polls. Through cases of corruption against a leader, we can tell whether one is eligible to lead or just be guided by their self-interests.
Haji says that it would be a fundamental mistake to allow impeached governors to vie for office. While there are several other Kenyans able and eligible for such similar roles.
The DPP said he will explore the options through the National Council on the Administration of Justice where he is the vice-chair.
Earlier the DPP had said his office halted approval of corruption files linked to any politician during the electioneering period. Which he said to have had a possibility of popularizing the candidates who were in the last government and are supposedly vying yet have graft cases.
"We don’t want to be accused of making decisions based on political leanings,” Haji said.
The interpretation of this is that the DCI and the EACC may proceed with their anti-corruption investigations but the ODPP will not grant prosecution, at least until after the polls.
In March, the EACC said it had concluded investigations into corruption allegations involving three governors.
The agency said the files were ready for the immediate prosecution of governors Anne Waiguru of Kirinyaga, Tana River's Dhadho Ghodana, and Lamu’s Fahim Twaha.
In the elections just a hundred days away, the leaders are on the scene up and down seeking to persuade the citizens of their intentions for being leaders and the possible deliverables upon attaining the roles.
For the past two decades, Kenya has seen politicians accused of theft, graft charges some with court cases go back to the ballot with allegations of going to bring about change that has not yet been seen.
The constitution provides that the representatives are to perform roles on behalf of their employers who are the citizens.
Evident that this has not been the case as most regions in the country despite having representatives to air their grievances years in and years out, still lack the basic needs that the government is mandated to provide.
This can be attributed to the corruption issues in money allocated to sort the peoples' needs that are rampant within the government amongst the so-called leaders who mostly go unpunished for the actions.
Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji at a past event. [Courtesy]
It’s quite distressing that allocation of funds is offered from the national government to the lowest wards to ensure there is the provision of at least basic needs for the citizens nationwide.
Yet most families in the outskirts of major towns even within can’t afford basic needs, food daily, shelter a big challenge, and water an important need unspoken of mostly.
Perhaps there is a need to realign the laws to make it solemn for politicians to mess with public funds, in that if one is in a corruption scandal they are to resign from the leadership role.
Attributing the major failures in the affairs of provision for the public coming from the representatives.
Just as it is in other nations like former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, former Brazilian President Lula Inácio Lula da Silva was sentenced to 12 years in jail for corruption where a leader with corruption charges is charged and they serve as an example to the rest.
Perhaps through this, there shall be justice ensured for the citizens who vote believing in a transition of the challenges they keep trying to cope within their daily lives.
Let the notion of laws apply for those with lawyer money be crumbled to having the law apply with equity for all nationwide.
Written by Kwabe Victor
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