Ruto, Mudavadi   brush off polls law change bid

Deputy President William Ruto and Amani National Congress (ANC) chief  Musalia Mudavadi yesterday led their Kenya Kwanza alliance to protest proposed amendments to the elections law introduced in Parliament on Wednesday.

Ay the same time, in an uncharacteristic move, National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi also waded into the debate, saying that proposals to ban live transmission of election results would be “undemocratic” and raise questions over the credibility and transparency of the polling exercise. 

Ruto, who took to social media to voice his disagreement, said the suggested amendments were calculated to deny Kenyans the right to elect a leader of their choice, describing them as “evil and a grave danger”.

“The never-ending onslaught through election law amendments, is a choreographed attempt to install a puppet on the Kenyan electorate and sabotage our freedom of choice and hard-earned democracy. The plan is evil and must fail. The people have resoundingly said hatupangwingwi,” he tweeted.

Grave threat

Ruto added: “The desperate efforts to install Project Kitendawili by forceful, illegal, undemocratic unconstitutional means portends a troubled future for Kenya, its democracy, the rule of law, freedom of its citizens and, ultimately, everyone’s well-being.

“The assaults on the Constitution through reckless legislative and administrative sleights off-hand, by dark forces operating in shadows, are fundamental ingredients of a coup — the sovereignty of the people of Kenya is under grave threat.” 

On his part, Muturi opposed the proposed banning of live broadcast of poll results. 

The Speaker said such a move would be undemocratic, an affront to transparency and denial of Kenyans’ constitutional right to access to information.

“A Bill is just but a proposal. It will be conclusively debated by members on the floor of the House. However, according to me, live coverage is crucial because it shows transparency and it’s the democratic right of voters,” the Speaker, who has declared his interest in the presidency in the August elections, said.

Mudavadi, who is part of the Kenya Kwanza Alliance, also criticised the proposed amendments during a campaign trail in Kajiado County.

The alliance held rallies in Namanga, Ilbisil, Maili Tisa and Kajiado town.

Addressing the public in the stopovers, Mudavadi warned the government against introducing new election laws close to polling day.

Mudavadi said the country risks falling into election-related chaos if the playing field is not fair for all.

“The government must stop the habit of changing the rules of the game at the eleventh hour,” he warned, adding that such a move is meant to prepare ground for electoral malpractice.

Amendments were proposed to Parliament by the national elections agency to cure ills pointed out by the Supreme Court while nullifying the 2017 presidential elections.

The proposed amendments seek to pave the way for both manual and electronic transmission of presidential results in the August 9 General Election.

“This is a bad law and please do not change the law at the last minute in favour of the Project. The move will only affect the elections and its credibility,” said Mudavadi.

In the proposed law, failure to transmit election results electronically would not be grounds for the Supreme Court to nullify the presidential vote.

The changes also seek to do away with live transmission of results.

The Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2022, sponsored by the State and introduced in the House by Majority Leader Amos Kimunya, also provides for a complementary mechanism for voter identification.

This means that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials would be allowed to use manual registers where Kiems kits fail.

Among the provisions is that returning officers managing the election would have to travel to Nairobi with the results after transmitting the same electronically.

IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati would only be allowed to declare the presidential results, after receiving tally from the 290 constituencies, unlike the current law where he is allowed to declare presidential results if the remaining results would not affect the overall results of the election.

Work freely

Accompanied by Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetangula, UDA luminaries Kipchumba Murkomen, Kimani Ichung’wah, Rigathi Gachagua, Kithure Kindiki and other Kenya Kwanza leaders, Mudavadi took a swipe at the Azimio La Umoja coalition, terming it a State House project meant to impose ODM leader Raila Odinga to power.

He asked the public to vote in the Kenya Kwanza group in the first round to save the economy from a run-up election.

Senator Murkomen termed the Bill as one meant to stifle the media and gag it in covering the elections.

“By gagging the media, what the government is trying to do is to lay ground for electoral malpractice. We ask President Uhuru Kenyatta not to interfere with the elections. We will not allow the country to go the 2007-08 way,” he said.

 Ichung’wah said together with his colleagues in Parliament they had passed the supplementary budget to ensure the electoral agency is well funded so that it is able to carry out credible elections.

Former Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama urged the Maa community to join the Hustler movement and not accept to be divided.

Senator Wetangula said the Kenya Kwanza administration will provide affordable education from nursery to secondary with the poor getting free education.

He added that the administration will provide universal healthcare to all and avail NHIF cards to all households.

Wetangula said Raila cannot be trusted with the leadership of the country, blaming the ODM leader for the frosty relations among top politicians.

Kindiki said the media should be allowed to work without restrictions including setting up own tallying centres.

“We want the media to be allowed to work freely and to even relay election results without any restrictions. The media is the watchdog of the planned rigging and that is why they are enacting a law at the last minute to restrict it from transmitting results,” he said.

Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jr waded into the debate saying:  “This is completely unnecessary! All results must be publicised. We will oppose.”