Kapseret Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi has declared a hiatus from participating in public fundraising events, known locally as harambees. The announcement came via his social media post on Sunday evening, where he revealed his intention to take a “one or two-year leave” from political engagements, awaiting divine guidance.
Sudi expressed his concerns, stating, “Going forward, I’ll not participate in any Harambee because it has been used to malign and disparage the good course, let it be banned. The current happenings in the country call for introspection, and consequently, I’m taking a sabbatical leave from public engagements.”
His statement followed President William Ruto’s roundtable discussion with Kenyan media, where the president criticized the harambee culture among politicians. Ruto emphasized the need to stop using church pulpits for political purposes and to curb the practice of harambees, which he argued has strayed from its noble beginnings and now fosters corruption.
“We need to change the culture of harambee. It started as a noble exercise; it supported many people to go to school, but I think it has stretched too far. We must stop harambees because it is breeding corruption,” Ruto remarked during his Sunday evening interview at State House.
This conversation arises amid public outrage over the substantial sums of money politicians contribute to these fundraising events, often raising suspicions about the sources of these funds. Sudi refuted allegations that he donated Ksh.20 million at a recent church fundraiser, clarifying in a video shared on Sunday that the amount was the total raised at the event, not his individual contribution.