IEBC urged to block former MPs over taxes

By LUCAS BARASA lbarassa@ke.nationmedia.com  ( email the author)

Posted  Sunday, January 20  2013 at  15:11

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The electoral body has been petitioned to bar 218 former MPs who failed to pay taxes from contesting in the General Election.

Civil society groups said they would seek court interpretation on the suitability of the MPs to vie if the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) does not block them until they paid the taxes.

Led by National Civil Society Congress President Morris Odhiambo, Humphrey Kimani from Release Political Prisoners, Ahmed Ramadhan (Nubian Human Rights Forum), Carolyne Akoth (Nubian Human Rights Forum), Gacheche Gachie (Bunge la Mwananchi), they said they would march to IEBC on Monday to present the petition.

They would also present the petition to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.

“The IEBC should use tax compliance as one of the measures of vetting the aspirants as non-payment raises integrity issues. The Kenya Revenue Authority should also move with speed and collect taxes from the former MPs,” Mr Odhiambo said.

Last week, the court ruled that no one is supposed to be exempted from paying taxes.

On Sunday, the civil society said the former MPs abused the law by not paying taxes and that the money should be recovered from them.

“We shall tell Kenyans former MPs who refused to pay taxes are not the best people to lead them as they will continue even after being re-elected,” Mr Odhiambo said.

The civil society said the former MPs who refused to pay taxes do not meet integrity threshold stipulated in the Constitution.

They said they will also move to court to challenge the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act that awards President Kibaki and former President Moi huge benefits at tax-payers expense.

He said just as President Kibaki termed the package MPs had awarded themselves as unconstitutional, his was also unlawful.