Let big debate lift the veil on leaders' wealth

Nairobi gubernatorial race front runners Johnson Sakaja and Polycarp Igathe interact  Nairobi County Governor's debate at CUEA on July 11, 2022.  [Denish Ochieng, Standard]

There have been bold attempts to tuck away every little or important detail of what the political elite owns. Shadowy forces are keen to ensure no one gets a glimpse into what your usual politician owns and how they acquired them. Covert ways do the trick.

There’s a clique that forever watches over their shoulders believing any talk about wealth declaration targets them.

In media interviews, they insist what they own is no one’s business. When challenged to declare their net worth, they ask in return why haven’t you asked so and so.

Yet again, we have honest leaders more than ready to account for each and every property and coin they own, including goats, chicken and sheep. And they would challenge you to point a finger. To them, accountability is sacrosanct.  

Last month, MPs proposed radical changes to the Lifestyle Audit legislation approved by the Senate in its last sitting. In the proposals, a public officer may be subjected to an audit if there’s reason to believe they are living beyond lawfully obtained income and have additional incomes and property they can’t account for.

Senator Farhiya Ali Haji, the mastermind of the Bill, also wants clause 25 that would have allowed Kenyans to easily access information on the wealth of high-ranking State officials such as the president and his deputy done away with.

I am not sure the intention behind expunging clause 25 is noble. All I know is that opacity around what top officials own is part of the reason our fight against graft is a superficial shadow-boxing stunt.  The warped thinking that no one should question what political leaders own enfeebles the law and voters’ right to know.

Law or no law, public officers should make their fortunes public. Even if half-true, it reduces the political fretfulness over their integrity and moral authority to bring to book those who loot with abandon. Wealth declaration by public officials will also be a priceless accountability tool. This is why the forthcoming running mates and presidential candidates’ debates must not shy away from this subject.

The presidential running mates’ debate will be on July 19 while that of presidential hopes will be on Tuesday, July 26. In the governorship debates that have taken place, there wasn’t any regarding public officers’ accountability rule book. We don’t want to get hints from the likes of Pandora papers. Let’s hear it from the horses’ mouths. Anyone wishing to lead us should be frank enough to share a catalogue of their property, including stocks and bonds. There’s nothing strange about it. In June 2015, as he sought the US presidency, Donald Trump – one of the dodgiest politicians – issued a one-page summary of his wealth. Critics called Trump’s conservative declaration utter nonsense after he put his fortune at a $9 billion. But he made an attempt.

Raila Odinga, William Ruto, Martha Karua and Rigathi Gachagua must not chicken out or grow cold feet when faced with questions around their net worth. They have offered themselves for high office and have to live with it. To trust either of the tickets with leadership on August 9,

Kenyans have a right to know more than the obvious about them. Integrity and Chapter Six can’t be wished away. But again the electoral commission and all the agencies have washed their hands off it and now, so many crooks are contesting seats.

But for those seeking to be president and deputy president, there’s nowhere to hide. Yes, let’s remind them of the 2014 hit number by American hard rock band Crobot dubbed ‘Nowhere to hide.’

The writer is an editor at The Standard. Twitter: @markoloo