EACC CEO Abdi Mahmoud has urged Kenyans to make informed choices in the 2027 General Election, cautioning them against voting for leaders based on clan or ethnic affiliations or those whose integrity is in question.Speaking in Kajiado on Wednesday, September 23, during an EACC Mashinani community engagement forum, Mahmoud warned voters against accepting money from candidates in exchange for their votes.He said voters who accepted handouts during campaigns could find it difficult to hold elected leaders accountable over poor services or unmet promises after the election.Mahmoud instead urged Kenyans to consider the ability of candidates to deliver services and manage public resources when choosing their leaders.“We understand that next year we will be going to the elections, and all that is required of us is to choose leaders with integrity. That’s our responsibility; however, some of us do not take it seriously. That’s where we go wrong as citizens,” he said.“This year we should really think, so that we cannot start complaining after the elections,” Mahmoud added.At the same time, EACC Chairperson David Oginde also urged Kenyans to hold public officials accountable for how they use resources entrusted to them.“Those who plunder public resources are enemies of the people. It can be your relative, nephew or father, but that person is the enemy of the people, and therefore we should not tolerate them,” Oginde said.Oginde challenged public officers to use their positions to serve the public rather than advance their personal interests.The officials were speaking on the second day of the EACC Mashinani campaign in Kajiado County, part of the commission’s efforts to take anti-corruption education and public engagement to communities.The engagement comes as the Kenya National Gender and Corruption Survey 2025 reported varying average bribe amounts paid to different categories of public officials. The survey found that respondents reported paying an average of Ksh13,038 to elected representatives in county governments, Ksh1,445 to MPs and other legislators, and Ksh20,126 to other public officials and civil servants.The survey also found that the national average bribe rose from Ksh4,878 in 2024 to Ksh6,724 in 2025, representing a 38 per cent increase. EACC said the findings point to continued challenges in tackling bribery and other forms of corruption in Kenya.
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