The Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (KARA) has claimed that 90 per cent of those candidates vying for County positions may not pass the integrity threshold as required in the new constitution.

The Chief Executive Officer of KARA Stephen Mutoro said the level of awareness among the leaders, especially touching on Chapter Six of the Constitution was shockingly low.

He said most leaders think that the integrity test was only touching on their public life forgetting that as leaders their private lives would also be thoroughly examined during the vetting of candidates.

“90 per cent of the leaders may not be able to fulfill the provisions of Chapter Six which requires serious vetting in terms of public and private lives and it is about the electorates who will come up and raise issues about their leaders,” said Mutoro while addressing members of the press at the Farm view hotel in Busia town during the Busia County Forum.

In Busia County, the CEO equally said 90 per cent of the population was also unaware of the integrity requirement for leadership, saying it is the responsibility of local leaders who have read the constitution to help the residents understand it to elect leaders effectively in order to safeguard their rights.

‘”We are very worried particularly about the awareness level of Busia residents in terms of devolution related issues,  given that they are going to be involved in the choice of leaders,” he said, adding that there is need to focus on the Bill of Rights.

Mutoro further expressed concern that very few women in the County were coming up to seek for elective leadership positions despite the number of women being higher than that of men according to the assessment undertaken by KARA.

“We are appealing to women to take advantage of the elective positions provided to them under the new constitution, to participate in the leadership of the county government,” he said.

During the forum Busia locals were sensitized on issues of devolution in terms of leadership, focusing on the key principles of devolution, roles and responsibilities of citizens in achieving responsive devolution.

In attendance were professionals from Busia County among them Kizito Wangalwa the former National TaxPayers Association coordinator, who urged the County residents to work together in efforts of achieving development.

Wangalwa said the County is well endowed with resources that would help improve lives of the residents if visionary leaders would be elected.