Activist Boniface Mwangi is overjoyed as he has cleared the
debts he incurred during the general election last year.
"As of today, l have officially paid all my campaign-related debts. I feel so good.
I am debt free. To everyone who walked with me on this journey, l have
mad, mad love for you. Thank you,” Boniface tweeted on Monday.
Mwangi recently opened up to the Nairobian about how he spent Sh18 million campaigning for the Starehe constituency seat. He lost to Charles Njagua, popularly known as Jaguar.
“I spent about Sh18 million in cash and in kind. My competitors spent five times more. Instead of manifestos, they had lots of moneyfestos.
Voters didn’t even bother asking where all the money was coming from. That’s the problem with our politics,” he said.
The activist said he ran out of money and was forced to sell his wife’s car to raise more
for his campaigns.
“You run out of money midway and no one is picking your calls, so you start selling personal things to raise more money (I sold my wife’s car).
"You start smelling victory, but you have nothing left to sell and you go to a shylock and borrow some money (I did that too). Lose or win, the campaign ends with most candidates in debt.
"If you win (for those who bribed voters), you get to Parliament and your first order of business is to pay your debts. Then you realise your constituents expect you to pay for maternity and school fees," he said.
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