Elections Observation Group (ELOG), National Coordinator Mulle Musau has warned that Kenya has naturalized bribery and inducement in elections, creating an uneven playing field that undermines fairness.
Speaking during an interview at Radio Generation on Monday, he said voters now expect handouts, politicians fuel a money-driven system, and institutions struggle to contain violence, distortions and skewed agendas, leaving citizens outside the democracy they are meant to shape.
ELOG is an organisation that monitors election campaigns, polling days and vote counting, collecting reports on incidents of violence, inducement and illegal practices during elections.
According to Musau, inducement has become a decisive force in how citizens make political choices.
He described inducement as something that persuades somebody to make a certain decision, which may not be the decision they would have made without the financial influence.
He noted that Kenyans have naturalised the act of receiving and giving even in situations where it is unnecessary, creating a culture in which bribery is seen as a normal political transaction.
Musau argued that this normalisation has eroded fairness in campaigns. When a politician “comes to a village and pours money to influence a certain outcome,” he said, the process becomes fundamentally “unfair”.
He added that villagers often do not complain because “Christmas came earlier”, reinforcing a political system in which financial handouts overshadow policy, accountability and public interest.
The ELOG coordinator warned that inducement also fuels an uneven playing field, saying the person competing against a wealthy candidate is “facing an unfair environment” because the opponent can bankroll outcomes.
He described by-elections as moments when money flows most aggressively, noting that some outcomes “could have been procured through inducement.”
He criticised politicians for promoting a “culture of bad manners,” arguing that many believe the only way Kenyans understand politics is through handouts.
He said political actors assume they must walk into villages carrying money in bags instead of presenting ideas or development plans.
He insisted that the purpose of elections is to create a level field where anyone, whether running for MCA or MP, can access voters and present their agenda.
But he warned that bribery distorts this principle by shutting out candidates who lack the financial power to distribute money.
Musau said the electoral process also suffers from violence, with coordinated groups mobilised to disrupt voting.
He pointed to instances where dozens of youths armed with weapons were arrested, noting that political actors often pay such groups for this purpose.
He added that money circulates through the entire electoral ecosystem, sometimes even being stolen before it reaches intended recipients.
According to Musau, elections have created an industry where people will look for that money before it is distributed, while others wait to present themselves as the people who can distribute it.
He said some politicians have previously been attacked after elections because they were the ones given money to distribute, and they did not distribute. This, he argued, shows how deeply financial incentives have overtaken democratic principles.
He warned that citizens themselves have embraced bribery to the extent that they demand to be bribed.
He said Kenyans now expect politicians to give them money “in advance,” even when they deliver little in development once elected.
Musau criticised the media and political class for shaping public discourse around personality clashes, rivalries and power struggles instead of development issues.
He lamented that citizens rarely question candidates on hospitals, poverty levels or schools in their constituencies, arguing that the agenda is consistently diverted toward political theatre rather than public needs.
He concluded that Kenya cannot reform its electoral system without confronting the reality that voters, politicians and institutions have all adapted to a system where money and manipulation overshadow democratic intent.
