MPs revise Public Fundraising Appeals Bill which outlawed legislators taking part in harambees

Members of Parliament (MPs) have scraped off a section of the Public Fundraising Appeals Bill which barred them from attending Harambees.

The deleted section read: "An elected or nominated Member of Parliament or of a County Assembly shall not participate in a fundraising function or conduct a fundraising appeal during his or her term as a Member of Parliament."

The MPs replaced the section with a clause barring them from conducting a Harambee in their work premises.

"A state officer who takes part in a public collection shall not use the office or place of work as a venue for soliciting or making public collections; or obtain money from a person by using his or her official position in any way to exert pressure," the revised Bill now reads.

State officers include the president, the deputy president, governors, MPs and Members of the County Assemblies as well as anyone who holds a public office.

There have been concerns that state officers use fundraisers to process proceeds of corruption.

The Bill proposes the creation of a Public Collections Committee or County Policing Authority to regulate and license state officials to participate in harambees.