Graft is the hot potato issue of 2017 polls

Kenyans are known worldwide for voting along ethnic lines; however, it is evident that this trend has been changing gradually.

Even though tribe will still be a factor during the 2017 elections, the majority of the middle-class and the young have been questioning the logic behind this ethnic herd mentality or euphoric tribal voting that has not translated into societal transformation since independence.

Tribe will soon be relegated to the periphery and the critical issue of corruption will take centre stage. I believe it is possible to win the 2017 elections with anti-corruption crusades. It happened in 2002.

The question many Kenyans have been asking is whether it pays to vote in the corrupt along tribal lines and suffer with the rest of Kenya for five or 10 years, or if it is more prudent to evaluate a candidate based on their character and competence rather than their ethnic background.

Will the candidates offering themselves for elective positions be transformational leaders seeking to change their society for the better or will they be greedy and corrupt individuals seeking to steal and amass public wealth, as has been the case lately?

As Kenyans go into campaign season, the majority of enlightened young people will judge the candidates not by how much money they flaunt but by their past performance and whether their lives have been tainted by corruption.

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As usual, the corrupt will seek to corrupt the electorate with their ill-gotten wealth but this time, the electorate will not be fooled.

Any money that is dished out will definitely be stolen because no sane person throws around that which comes from their sweat.

Kenyans have seen how much mayhem the corruption dragon has caused.