In what Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni says is a move to curb graft, he has proposed a bill before the Parliament to bar the legislators from taking part in harambees throughout their elected terms.
According to the propossed Public Fundraising Appeals Bill, any Civil servant wishing to conduct a harambee must apply for a licence at the respective county at least 21 days before the fundraiser.
“An elected or nominated Member of Parliament or of a County Assembly shall not participate in a fundraising function or conduct a fundraising appeal during his or her term as a Member of Parliament…A person who contravenes the provisions of this section shall be liable to a fine not exceeding eight hundred thousand shillings,” reads part of the Bill.
Failure to which, the MPs and County Assemblies risk a Sh800,000 fine for participating in harambees. They however, can apply for a contribution licences under the same registration of the same Harambee contribution. This license is subjected to scrutiny of the source of money exceeding a limit that will be set.
This is coming at a time that MPs have in recently pushed for salary increments, citing pressure from constituents demanding harambee contributions.
A section of politicians have raised eyebrows leading with Ruto’s battalion saying that their generous contributions to churches running into millions of shillings. DCI and EACC had stated that they use the church to cleanse proceeds of graft.
The Catholic Church early this month banned cash donations from politicians and said the contributions can only be through mobile money transactions or cheques.
Mr Kioni says the proposed law will repeal the Public Collections Act of 1960 that he adds lacks robust legal architecture to guard against use of harambees to cleanse proceeds of corruption.
