National Assembly Public Accounts Committee chairman Opiyo Wandayi wants the next parliament to come up with legislation making academic certificates forgery a capital offence.
Wandayi said that the laws must provide for life sentence to anybody who will be convicted over the offence of faking or buying or fraudulently acquiring a degree certificate.
Addressing the media in Siaya town, the chairman who is also the Ugunja MP applauded government agencies that have taken over investigations into the alleged forgery of certificates by those vying for various political seats.
“We want to elevate the offence to the level of murder or robbery with violence in order to act as deterrent. We shall be proposing necessary amendments to the penal code when parliament resumes at the earliest opportunity,” said the legislator.
Wandayi said such a deterrent sentence was the best way to deal with the menace that he said if left unchecked will ruin the future of the country.
He called on the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the office of the director of public prosecutions and other agencies to act decisively and ruthlessly against all those who will be found culpable.
The legislator, who is also the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party director of political affairs, has in the meantime told the United Democratic Alliance led by deputy president William Ruto to stop being cry babies who use ODM as the punching bag every time they face frustrations in their campaigns.
Wandayi said ODM had nothing to do with their competitor’s frustrations, adding that all political parties must adhere to the law.
He said that the persistent complaints and lamentations by UDA leadership could be part of a scheme to lay basis for rejecting the outcome of the next general elections after sensing defeat.
The PAC chairman however warned that the country will not tolerate any trouble after the next general elections.
“I want to caution UDA and its leadership that rejecting the results is their business, they are free to do so but they should not dare foment any trouble in this country,” he said, adding, “We shall not allow that as members of the ODM and Azimio coalition.”
