Do not be blinded by handouts doled out ahead of polls

Who is Suleiman Shahbal? This is the Mombasa businessman with gubernatorial ambitions who let the cat out of the bag on the ruling coalition’s plans viz 2017 right in front of the Deputy President. He point blank declared the dark intentions of the ruling coalition. “Uchaguzi wa 2017 tutashinda, tutashinda Kwa nguvu, tutanunua, tutaiba, whatever will be”. While the IEBC and Office of the DPP were quick off the blocks, condemning the remarks and opening investigations respectively, these are the brash and brazen words of a man who knows that little of consequence can befall him despite his insolent remarks.

It seems that having realised it cannot win the election based on arguments grounded in logic and reason, Jubilee has decided to forego all pretenses and instead buy its way into another term in office. There was a time not so long ago when such was the norm. I made my first acquaintance with the corrupting influence of money in politics in 1992.

I recall accompanying a relative to receive inducement to vote correctly from the local party branch, back when the Sh500 note was named after a certain politician.

We are now witnessing the return of the brown envelope culture. Such are the times we are in now that a Member of Parliament was caught on camera carrying a big brown envelope believed to contain a substantial amount of legal tender. He had just left State House Mombasa where the Head of State happened to be resident, coincidentally. It would seem that we are back to the days when the heart of the Treasury was in the house on the hill.

Yet the MP will see and hear no evil.

He has forcefully brushed aside insinuations that he received enticement with characteristically impeccable logic. See, the envelope he walked out with contained academic certificates, as he was there to solicit state jobs for his constituents.

The normal order of events is for one to leave the certificates with the potential employer, not walk out with them, so that should a vacancy arise, one of the applicants can be considered, but that really is a minor detail. Also, while many of us have presented and been presented with certificates, we have never seen those in the shape and size the MP was carrying, but what does it matter? Further, I doubt that the kind of appointments reserved for the Head of State under law attract applicants whose CV’s are hawked by their Member of Parliament in that fashion, but what do I know?

What makes these events all the more regrettable is that the money some so happily receive is our money being recycled back to us.

Some in government are extremely generous, giving millions of shillings away to all manner of causes on a weekly basis, despite this being clearly against the law. They are able to explain neither their line of business nor the whereabouts of the Eurobond proceeds.

When pressed for answers, they have been known to exhort others to be more philanthropic and magnanimous instead of being too curious as to the source of the money. If these individuals truly want us to prosper why won’t they share secrets of their wealth generation genius so we can all join the club? It is a sad day when a knave uses a small bit of your own property to console you for your loss.

Not all have been fooled though if calls by Anglican Church of Kenya Bishop, Eliud Wabukala, are anything to go by. Wabukala has urged churches to reject harambees from politicians as a way of reducing corruption and theft of public resources.

I know it is extremely difficult to make the argument against receiving this kind of money given our daily needs but one truly hopes when the time comes to vote the money won’t blind us.