CORD leaders have faulted the running of IEBC affairs ahead of the upcoming general elections “There will be no election unless the entire legal regime, including the use of technology in an integrated electronic electoral system is fully implemented and the conduct of free and fair elections is guaranteed,” said Senator Johnstone Muthama. He said this during a press briefing in Nairobi.
The coalition party noted that the elections will not be fair and just as it’s meant to be, alleging that IEBC is under the influence and stewardship of the Jubilee government. They accused the Jubilee government of manipulating IEBC Commissioners, “It’s quite clear that the Deputy President William Ruto and the CS for ICT have been holding informal meetings with the secretariat and some of the retired commissioners are planning to block the full and comprehensive implementation of the Election Laws Act 2016, including exerting inappropriate influence on the nomination of the commissioners.”
According to the leaders, they insisted that the two major parties, CORD and Jubilee, should have representatives in the Technical Committee established under Section 17 of the Election Laws. Senator James Orengo said that both parties must be involved in drafting all regulations under the law and the draft regulations that are being proposed by IEBC must be withdrawn.
Machakos Senator Muthama insisted the election timetable must be kept and obeyed to the letter instead of having bad motives of recruiting IEBC officials that will be easily manipulated to rig the elections. “Nobody should interfere with the process of nomination of the members and the Chairman of the Commission and the exercise should be completed expeditiously but with utmost respect to the qualifications and integrity required of the nominees.
We are informed that Jubilee is opposed to the appointment to the Commission of Kenyans who are patriotic and progressive and have a background and history of fighting for reform and change in Kenya. That is simply backward, reactionary and plainly wrong and repugnant in an open democratic society based on human dignity and equality and freedom,” he said.