Kisumu Senator Tom Ojienda addressed criticism on Monday, November 25, regarding his decision to distribute handouts to county residents.
A video that has since gone viral shows the senator handing out Ksh200 notes to a line of residents who clapped in appreciation.
However, the video sparked mixed reactions among Kenyans, with some criticising the lawmaker for allegedly trying to win over voters with handouts, claiming it was beneath him.
“Just look at Kisumu Senator Tom Ojienda, a whole professor of law giving a hideout of Ksh200 to his electorates, and people are celebrating and clapping for him. Like seriously? Why allow politicians to treat us as beggars?” noted a Kenyan.
"This is professional misconduct. Professor, handouts by politicians are often unethical due to potential bribery, dependency creation, and unfair political advantage," added another online user.
Following the backlash, the Senator took to his social media accounts to explain the motive behind his controversial decision to distribute handouts to his county residents.
According to Tom Ojienda, the move was simply an act of generosity and was not associated with his current or future political ambitions. "I remain a professor of law," Ojienda stated.
The Senator further clarified that the act of distributing handouts to residents was a normal thing and that he often did it when paying a visit to the county as a form of appreciation.
“A little generosity doesn’t hurt, if you are mean, as your bile suggests, then keep that to yourself. I choose to give. This has nothing to do with politics. I am only greeting my people in my usual style,” Ojienda added.
The move comes amidst the government's efforts to curb rampant corruption in the country. President William Ruto, during his recent State of the Nation address, lamented a lack of effort by lawmakers to deal with bulging corruption in the country.
In particular, Ruto accused the MPs and Senators of frustrating the passage of the Conflict of Interest Bill, which seeks to curb prevalent corruption in Kenya.
"It is also unacceptable for the House of Parliament to deny the nation the much-needed instrument in the war against corruption by continually sabotaging the conflict of the Interest Bill," Ruto stated.
