As time ticks, months pass by many young Kenyans are looking out to see who has got the money this campaign season.

As much as it is illegal to hand out money during elections, the government has done little or nothing to fight this. Rather the government is a full participant. This is the time that government officials go the extra mile to misuse public funds in the name of "bringing development closer to the people". If the only time the government honours its duty to the public is the election year, wouldn't it be wise to have mid-term elections after 2 years just like they have in the U.S.A thus ensuring at least two delivery periods of government largesse?

Kenyans have played a major role in promoting the culture of cash for votes; that one can not be elected unless they have a lot of money. It seems the first question we ask when someone says they will be running for political office is how much does he have rather than asking what can he deliver or what difference can he/she make that the incumbent cannot. Our society has been hoodwinked by the money men and that is why we keep on complaining about corruption while voting in the very same people time after time.

Why can such politicians afford to give out money like that? The answer is simple, no one would willingly pour away so much hard-earned money. That our politicians do so is indicative of two things, their assured belief that they will recoup their 'investment' and the fact that the money is not their's in the first place.

As a society, we should promote and elect leaders who show a workable vision for our future, dishing out money today does not solve tomorrow's problems, it may even make them worse. If we as the electorate keep pushing for the money then we will perpetuate our rot as a society, denying our attention to that one person who does not have the money to throw about but is qualified and has the intellect, vision, development consciousness and most importantly empathy.

Let's all push for change, not only constitutional change, but also change in our minds. Let's forget about voting for money and push for people who have Kenya's interests at heart rather than looking for employment and business opportunities. Let's all look at long term plans of the candidates and their development records before the election year then at that time make a decision with our hearts rather than our pockets and the greedy urge to get that 100 shillings that will not benefit us tomorrow.