Lugari MP Ayub Savula has revealed that it is hard to win an election in Lugari without giving handouts to voters.
Speaking during a political debate on Spice FM’s The Situation Room, the lawmaker claimed that he spends around Sh45 million to campaign for a single election and much of the money goes to bribing voters.
“In Lugari I was giving out 10 people Sh1000… But you look at others you cannot give them 1000. You look at this mama, she is influential, so five mamas 1000 bob. So you dish out Sh 500,000 in a (single) rally,” he said.
The MP said that this is achieved through a committee in which members are given Sh2000 each ‘depending on somebody’s status in society’.
“These are the influential members of the society, when they talk to the people they hear them…when you go to a rally you must have an average of Sh400,000 to Sh500,000 depending with the crowd that will be there,” he said.
Savula added that after giving the money, he is forced to hide in his car to watch as people scramble for the cash. He does this so as not to be seen dishing out the money because it is against the law.
Sam Oduor is the editor-in-chief at the Western Kenya Times who leverages the power of the Internet in telling stories that shape opinions.
