Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

Azimio La Umoja alliance has asked President William Ruto to quicken the assenting of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Amendment Bill 2024 into law.

The opposition coalition has set its sights on the eventuality that Kenya could be headed to a general election after the anti-finance bill protests that degenerated into calls for President Ruto to resign and Parliament to be dissolved.

In a press briefing yesterday, leaders of affiliate parties of Azimio said the absence of a functional electoral body will derail their resolve to recall some of the ODM Members of Parliament who defied their party’s orders not to vote yes for the contentious finance bill.

“Kenyans have had enough of Ruto and are demanding that hashtag Ruto must go today, not tomorrow. To expedite the people’s wishes, Azimio demands that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Amendment (IEBC) Bill 2024 be immediately signed into law.

We are aware that this bill has been sitting on Ruto’s desk for days now, and the Kenya-Kwanza dictatorship is reluctant to sign it into law,” Azimio said in a statement read by Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka.

Musyoka insisted that the signing of the IEBC bill into law would allow citizens to hold their representatives in the legislature accountable.

Constituent parties

“The constitution says if you want to withdraw your member of parliament, you have to wait for two years, and two years are coming to an end on the 9th of August. So, really, this is timely,” he said.

He went on: “We have officially, through our constituent parties’ mechanisms, put on notice all Azimio legislators who went against the wishes of their people. We are supporting the call for their recall.”

The Azimio co-principal called on Kenyans to unite and defend the values of justice, democracy, and peace adding that the coalition will remain steadfast in its commitment to advancing the interests of every Kenyan citizen.

“This is a moment for Kenya. And that’s why we are calling for a very quick enactment of the IEBC Amendment Bill 2024, so at least there may be a possibility, assuming the youth in this country will allow that opportunity to happen,” he said.

Political landscape

Musyoka was flanked by Jubilee Party Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni, Democratic Action Party- Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa, National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi and his Deputy Robert Mbui, Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti and former Meru Governor Peter Munya.

According to Kioni, time is ripe for a fresh start and an overhaul of the political landscape in the country as evidenced by the Gen Z movement that has expressed its dissatisfaction with the current government.

“Clearly, when Generation Z started with the reject finance bill hashtag, there were those who had estimated their resolve. And what we have before us now is the hashtag brutal mass design. What we hold as Azimo also is that the executive plus the legislature should give way so that we can be able to get a new start,” Kioni said.

Political landscape

The former Ndaragwa MP added: “We need radical reforms in the country. We do not want cosmetic applications. We actually need a radical reconstructive surgery of the institutions that have been affected.”

Kioni urged the Judiciary to step in and guide the country should a transition be necessary to protect the country from running into anarchy.  

 He maintained that Kenyans have lost trust with the current holders of elective offices.

“We are certain that we cannot be able to live longer, any longer, with William (President) in power, with William and his cabinet in office, and equally with a parliament that has been impeached,” Kioni said.

Last week, both the National Assembly and the Senate concurred on the IEBC amendment bill which now awaits President Ruto to sign it into law leading to the appointment of fresh faces of commissioners.