Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi says large amounts of dirty money are being used in the build-up to next month’s election stating that an unusually high number of economic criminals and their accomplices may buy their way into Parliament.
Matiangi who spoke during the launch of the National Risk Assessment on Money laundering and Terrorism Financing on Wednesday said that the criminals are relying on massive bribery and suspect funds to win elective seats.
“You have seen people carrying money with bags in the villages, lining up Kenyans to give them sh 100 and sh 200 even banks have shortage of these notes and these people are laundering their way into elective positions to take decisions,” he stated.
He warned that electing a large number of criminals will expose the country to bad laws and thicken the nexus between corruption and bad leadership.
“If we are not careful as Kenyans, by the time we are done with this electoral cycle, we would’ve laundered criminals into our elective institutions- even up to about 40 percent and do you think they will tidy up the legislative environment?” posed Matiangi.
He challenged the middle class to take part in the elections, saying taking a back seat will leave the country in the hands of leaders who are likely to support laws that favoured criminal enterprises.
CS Matiangi said they need to participate in this election, because this will be critical on how the issues of money laundering will be addressed.
He noted that political goodwill plays a major role in fighting such crimes, and hence the need to elect leaders of integrity into office.
“I want to challenge you people who wouldn’t queue to vote, it’s either we elect a government which is cozy with money laundering or we elect a government that is against money laundering and which is committed to fighting this,” he stated.
According to the Interior Ministry, the Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing National Risk assessment revealed that fraud and forgery are top financial crimes in the country.
