CORD dares State to remove Senator Moses Wetang'ula from voters’ register

Opposition MPs have alleged a State' conspiracy to destabilise the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) by targeting its top leadership.

Over 20 CORD legislators dared the Jubilee government to make good plans to remove Senate Minority Leader Moses Wetangula from the voters' register, which would see him lose his Bungoma Senate seat.

Led by Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, the legislators cautioned the Executive against using the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and the prosecuting agencies to gag them from holding the State to account.

Khalwale condemned the IEBC's plot to sanction the removal of Wetang'ula's name from the voters' register for having broken election rules during the 2013 General Election, saying the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Keriako Tobiko had directed the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to close the case file for lack of enough evidence.

CORD MPs led by Bony Khalwale addresses a press conference at Parliament on Tuesday 13/10/15 on the call by IEBC for the arrest of CORD Co-Principal Moses Wetangula over voter bribery. (PHOTO: BONIFACE OKENDO/ STANDARD)

"The DCI under Ndegwa Muhoro did indeed investigate the case and returned the verdict that there was no evidence to charge Wetang'ula. Subsequently, the DPP ordered the DCI to close the probe file and we have a TV footage on this," he said.

Wetang'ula was found guilty of committing voter bribery by a Bungoma court on September 30, 2013, a verdict that was upheld by both the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.

Registrar of the Supreme Court stated that the findings of the court were submitted to Ethuro, Tobiko and IEBC Chairman Issack Hassan.

But the Opposition linked Wetang'ula's woes to the planned impeachment motion against President Uhuru Kenyatta.

"It is not lost on us that this is only the latest in a series of such schemes, whose singular and narrow import is to blackmail, intimidate and bully the senator into submission. State agencies have been at work, leaking to the media documents they know would not otherwise stand a chance before any functional court of law," said Khalwale at Parliament Buildings yesterday.

Senate Deputy minority leader Senator Abdurrahman Ali (Wajir), ODM Chairman John Mbadi (Suba),  Senator Hassan Omar ( Mombasa), Eseli Simiyu (Tongaren) and Chris Wamalwa (Kiminini) challenged the Government to welcome criticism and desist from intimidating the Opposition.

Mbadi told Jubilee that Wetang'ula is not only a Minority Leader but a CORD co-principal and therefore deserves respect.

Omar asked Tobiko's office to also remain independent in performing its mandate and not to bend to directives from the Executive or any external forces.

But yesterday, IEBC posted on its twitter handle: "IEBC is not haunting Hon Wetang'ula, irresponsible journalism is. We referred to Election Act 87(3) but what came out?" Section 87 of the Elections Act provides for a report of court on election offences. "The relevant Speaker shall publish a report made under this section in the Gazette, and the commission shall consider the report and delete from the register of voters the name of a person who is disqualified from being registered in that register of voters," it stipulates.