Barely a week after Kenya’s President Kenyatta announced that a lifestyle audit will be conducted on all public servants, including himself, tongues have started wagging as Kenyans reacted on Twitter by spitting out names of leaders they believe have illegal wealth.
The trending hashtag since Monday has been #WeKnowYourSalary and Kenyans, in enthusiastic fashion, have been posting pictures and information on hundreds of property allegedly linked to different politicians.
The overwhelming tweets combining sensational and unverified information has given a clear sign that the president’s call for a lifestyle audit has a huge citizen backing.
“Transparency is when all those in authority declare what they own and how they got their property,” said President Kenyatta.
“We will conduct lifestyle audit for all public servants beginning with myself as a step towards fighting corruption,” the president said on Twitter.
Top leaders in the president’s government, senior officials in the Legislature and governors were among those Kenyans have been urging to explain how they were able to accumulate wealth overnight despite their average salary and profiles before they got their current positions.
Properties running into billions, thousands of acres of land across the country, flats and property in the hotel sector are the top mentioned assets owned by politicians and government officials.
Here are some of those tweets:
https://twitter.com/Richbom/status/1008966634936197120
https://twitter.com/Alfeus99988879/status/1008962009533157382
Soon, we'll hear legislators talking about how it's a security risk for their salaries and allowances to be public information. #WeKnowYourSalary
— Marcus Olang' (@marcusolang) June 19, 2018
Go through the #weknowyoursalary. Kenyans are C.I.D s on their own man.
— David Sweta (@davidsweta) June 19, 2018
https://twitter.com/BobbyVjoe/status/1008994838933630976
#WeKnowYourSalary . Kenyan s are very corrupt people. First start with your personal audit on how you bribed to get that job, tender etc .
— HILLARY K NGETICH (@HILLKIP) June 19, 2018
Thank you to every brave Kenyan tweeting using hashtag #WeKnowYourSalary and exposing corruption. Your COURAGE gives me hope that our generation shall liberate Kenya from thuggish leadership. #TeamCOURAGE pic.twitter.com/TePKxClVjG
— The People’s Watchman (@bonifacemwangi) June 19, 2018
Although experts have expressed reservations in whether the lifestyle audit will yield any fruits, Kenyans across the country have continued tweeting with optimism hoping the authorities will pick up the information. Others have read politics arguing that the lifestyle audit is targeting well-known individuals who have been mentioned.
The trend has also caught with neighbouring countries with some of them wondering whether the same could take place in their countries.
#WeKnowYourSalary
This hashtag should hit uganda.— Hirald Rugyendo (@RugyendoHirald) June 19, 2018
