The High Court has directed the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to investigate embattled legislator Alfred Keter for voter bribery and campaigning outside the stipulated time.
On Thursday, Judge Kanyi Kimondo made the recommendations moments after Keter lost his seat for irregularities committed during the August election.
Bernard Kitur, who was the petitioner, asked the court to invalidate the election citing violence, bribery, intimidation of voters and agents during campaigns and on the election day.
According to the Election Offences Act, voter bribery is a serious violation of the law and if found guilty, one can serve a jail term of up to five years.
[caption caption="Embattled politician Alfred Keter"]
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A survey conducted in 2017 before the August 8 election revealed that the choices of more than half the number of voters were likely to be influenced by voter bribery.
The report further revealed that 56 percent of Kenyans admitted having ever been bribed by an aspirant in order to vote for them.
Based on this statistics, it would mean about 9.5 million eligible voters at the August 8 polls voted for a candidate who bribed them.
The survey also revealed that Bomet County led in the number of those who had taken bribes at 64.71 percent while Migori had the least at 41.3 percent.
It further revealed that lack of choices was a means to an end, yet in others, it had become a normal way of life.
[caption caption="Voters being given money during the campaign period"]
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Aspirants, on the other hand, believed that bribing was a way to win elections while others claimed voters demanded to be bribed.
