Vote buying and bribery to blame for bad leadership - Ex-Taveta MP

Former Taveta MP Mwacharo Kubo has described the current state of leadership in Kenya as debasing and sickening.

Mwacharo has blamed the sorry state of affairs in the country on vote buying and bribery during polls.

The former Legislator who was first elected in 1984 said it is after the 1992 General Election the quality of leadership started worsening to the detriment of the electorate.

“During our days in Parliament, debates were lively and enjoyable but look at the theatrics Kenyans are treated to these days by MPs, it is sickening to see the self-centredness among leaders, “he claimed.

Kubo who is a lawyer by profession recalled the days of the seven ‘bearded sisters‘ when no Kenyan would miss the parliamentary proceedings.

These legislators were nicknamed the seven bearded sisters by the then Attorney General Charles Njonjo 1981 for being the most radical politicians Kenyan Parliament had seen.

They included Abuya Abuya (Kitutu East),Onyango Midika (Nyado now Muhoroni), Mwashengu wa  Mwachofi (Wundanyi), James Orengo (Siaya), Lawrence Sifuna (Bumula), Chibule wa Tsuma (Kaloleni) and Koigi wa Mwere (Nakuru North now Subukia).

Speaking to the Standard after attending the burial of his brother in law, the later Simon Njagi at Ithareini village, Kirinyaga East Sub-County, Kubo urged voters to shun the handout culture during campaigns if they wanted Kenya to get good leaders.

He said from 1984 when he was first elected as MP until he lost in 1992, campaigns were not expensive since one only needed campaign materials which were relatively cheap.

“Unaware of the changing times , my opponent during the 1992 General Election used a lot of money to defeat and  confine me in the cold, though I have no regrets since in do not believe in buying leadership, “he explained.

Kubo who yesterday said he does not wish to get back into elective politics however longs for the good old days where seats were won on the basis of issues not money and bribery.

His elder sister Beatrice Wuganga was married to the later Njagi who passed on at the age of 88 after a long illness on September 22.