Jubilee MPs criticise Raila Odinga’s stand on poll body

By Vitalis Kimutai

Nairobi, Kenya: Members of the National Assembly from the Jubilee coalition have hit at former Prime Minister Raila Odinga saying he is inciting Kenyans and wants to promote anarchy in the country.

The MPs took on the former Prime Minister over calls to disband the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chaired by Issack Hassan, failure to which Kenyans would boycott the next General Election.

Leader of Majority Aden Duale and Tetu MP Ndungu Githenji led the MPs at a press conference at Parliament Buildings in telling Mr Raila to respect the law and the constitutional institutions, which he helped to create.

Mr Duale said Mr Hassan and the IEBC commissioners were picked through due process of law and the office of the former PM was involved alongside that of the President.

“IEBC cannot be disbanded through political rallies and political caucuses that Raila has lately resorted to in condemning the electoral body. He and former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka seem to have forgotten that they lost the March 4, General Election,” Duale said.

He added that the problem is not the institutions but the players starting with Raila who needs to reform himself and the entire CORD leadership.

“Kenya has invested a lot in reforming institutions but there is a scheme to create anarchy and civil disobedience issues of which the National Security Intelligence Services should probe,” he said.

They said it was not possible that the Constitution and constitutional institutions were designed to work against some individuals.

They said the former PM was misusing freedom of speech to invite Kenyans to disregard the supreme law of the land.