POLITICIANS SHOULD CONTRIBUTE DURING FUNDS DRIVE, THE PEOPLE SAY
By Maritim Kipngetich
Harambee, pulling together of resources for social development, has been used since independence to collect funds to assist in building schools, hospitals, churches, paying school fees and paying hospital bills. Politicians have been traversing the country donating millions of shillings in harambees despite the current constitution denying them to do so. Members of Parliament have been accused of using harambee for political mobilization.
The provision in the constitution which does not permit politicians to participate in harambees has rekindled a heated debate among the members of the public.The people said that there are orphans and children from poor families who are bright in school and they do not have money for school fees.
“People are not equal. Some are orphans who need support. Despite that many people especially in Kenya are not employed and they don’t have funds to take their children to school. The politicians are the only people who can contribute large sum of money in harambees. So if they are denied to participate then many children from less-endowed families will not be able to attend school,” Philip Moseti, Information, Communication and Technology expert, said.
He also said harambees has assisted in clearing high medical bills.
“Hospital bills of some people can run as high as three million shillings. Do you think ordinary citizens will be able to raise millions of shillings during fund raising? One politician can contribute as high 500 thousand shillings during harambee which ordinary citizen can never contribute,” he said.
He, however, added that there are some Members of Parliament (MPs) who solicit funds from government institutions and philanthropies and they cannot use them during harambees.
“Politicians who seek funds from other state officers and government institutions are supposed to be questioned. Some never use those monies in harambees,” he added.
Philip said Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) should probe politicians who contribute millions of shillings in harambees during weekends and not those who contribute genuinely from their pockets.
“The politicians that are over-generous and are donating millions of shillings every weekend; those are the ones EACC should investigate not MPs who generously contribute to their constituents,” he said.
Kimingichi Wapende is a lecturer at the University of Nairobi and he said MPs want to be allowed to contribute during fund drives so that they ask for more salaries.
“Contribution of money during harambees by politicians was the subject of debate before the current constitution was passed. MPs are notoriously known for demanding for salary increment in the name of they attend several fund raising in their constituencies,” Kimingichi said.
Asked if he has been a beneficiary of harambee, he said he could not remember. He, however, said he has been contributing money during fund raising held in his home village in Webuye.
James Mashomba is a cashier at the University of Nairobi students’ cafeteria and he said some politicians use money from their pockets.
“There are politicians who are not corrupt and they contribute money to their constituents from their own salaries. It should not be generalized that all politicians are using money from questionable sources,” James said.
He added that politicians are expected to give back to their constituencies after they have been elected. He said voters expect politicians to participate in development projects.
“It depends on individual. If some are using the initiative for personal aggrandisement it is so sad. Politicians also need political mileage to maintain their support and position,” James said.
James said the politicians are supercilious people who want to be known when they contribute money, so that they maintain their influence over the masses.
“When they contribute the world must know so that it can, in turn help them during election to grab many votes,” he said.
Charles Wesonga, a third year Pharmacy student at the Technical University of Kenya (TU-K), said many people have benefited from harambee projects which were initiated by politicians and the constitution should be amended to allow politicians contribute in harambees.
“Many people were educated in harambee schools and treated in hospitals put up through fund raising which were mainly the ideas of politicians. We should not continue to suffer behind a law that is not applicable in our circumstances,” Charles said.
He added that pulling together of resources by people and their leaders, has assisted many, including him, who would not be able to access education.
“For my case I survived with funds from harambee when I was in secondary school. We held harambee four consecutive years because my parents would not be able to pay my school fees. I was in national high school which annual fees were as high as 120,000 shilling per year,” he said.
Some politicians maintain that harambees are there to stay and they have been participating in harambees despite the existence of the law which banns them from doing the same. They are agitating for constitutional amendment not to be included as state officers so that they participate in fund drives. They said political titans in the Jubilee government have been going round the country to attend funds drive and the constitution does not permit them to do so.
By Maritim Kipngetich
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| PHOTO: Deputy president William Ruto during funds drive in Kwale County. Some politicians have accused some Jubilee government's titans as the key architects of harambees despite the law denying them to do so. |
Harambee, pulling together of resources for social development, has been used since independence to collect funds to assist in building schools, hospitals, churches, paying school fees and paying hospital bills. Politicians have been traversing the country donating millions of shillings in harambees despite the current constitution denying them to do so. Members of Parliament have been accused of using harambee for political mobilization.
The provision in the constitution which does not permit politicians to participate in harambees has rekindled a heated debate among the members of the public.The people said that there are orphans and children from poor families who are bright in school and they do not have money for school fees.
“People are not equal. Some are orphans who need support. Despite that many people especially in Kenya are not employed and they don’t have funds to take their children to school. The politicians are the only people who can contribute large sum of money in harambees. So if they are denied to participate then many children from less-endowed families will not be able to attend school,” Philip Moseti, Information, Communication and Technology expert, said.
He also said harambees has assisted in clearing high medical bills.
“Hospital bills of some people can run as high as three million shillings. Do you think ordinary citizens will be able to raise millions of shillings during fund raising? One politician can contribute as high 500 thousand shillings during harambee which ordinary citizen can never contribute,” he said.
He, however, added that there are some Members of Parliament (MPs) who solicit funds from government institutions and philanthropies and they cannot use them during harambees.
“Politicians who seek funds from other state officers and government institutions are supposed to be questioned. Some never use those monies in harambees,” he added.
Philip said Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) should probe politicians who contribute millions of shillings in harambees during weekends and not those who contribute genuinely from their pockets.
“The politicians that are over-generous and are donating millions of shillings every weekend; those are the ones EACC should investigate not MPs who generously contribute to their constituents,” he said.
Kimingichi Wapende is a lecturer at the University of Nairobi and he said MPs want to be allowed to contribute during fund drives so that they ask for more salaries.
“Contribution of money during harambees by politicians was the subject of debate before the current constitution was passed. MPs are notoriously known for demanding for salary increment in the name of they attend several fund raising in their constituencies,” Kimingichi said.
Asked if he has been a beneficiary of harambee, he said he could not remember. He, however, said he has been contributing money during fund raising held in his home village in Webuye.
James Mashomba is a cashier at the University of Nairobi students’ cafeteria and he said some politicians use money from their pockets.
“There are politicians who are not corrupt and they contribute money to their constituents from their own salaries. It should not be generalized that all politicians are using money from questionable sources,” James said.
He added that politicians are expected to give back to their constituencies after they have been elected. He said voters expect politicians to participate in development projects.
“It depends on individual. If some are using the initiative for personal aggrandisement it is so sad. Politicians also need political mileage to maintain their support and position,” James said.
James said the politicians are supercilious people who want to be known when they contribute money, so that they maintain their influence over the masses.
“When they contribute the world must know so that it can, in turn help them during election to grab many votes,” he said.
Charles Wesonga, a third year Pharmacy student at the Technical University of Kenya (TU-K), said many people have benefited from harambee projects which were initiated by politicians and the constitution should be amended to allow politicians contribute in harambees.
“Many people were educated in harambee schools and treated in hospitals put up through fund raising which were mainly the ideas of politicians. We should not continue to suffer behind a law that is not applicable in our circumstances,” Charles said.
He added that pulling together of resources by people and their leaders, has assisted many, including him, who would not be able to access education.
“For my case I survived with funds from harambee when I was in secondary school. We held harambee four consecutive years because my parents would not be able to pay my school fees. I was in national high school which annual fees were as high as 120,000 shilling per year,” he said.
Some politicians maintain that harambees are there to stay and they have been participating in harambees despite the existence of the law which banns them from doing the same. They are agitating for constitutional amendment not to be included as state officers so that they participate in fund drives. They said political titans in the Jubilee government have been going round the country to attend funds drive and the constitution does not permit them to do so.
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