Looming crisis as NASA, Jubilee leaders fight over change to election laws

Jubilee and National Super Alliance (NASA) leaders continued warring over the contentious Bill on elections laws introduced in Parliament on Thursday, with both parties maintaining hardline positions.

Jubilee said they would not back down on their bid to push through the Bill, with National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale insisting that the law will be passed by October 13, to give IEBC time to operationalise it.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the select committee formed to handle public participation of the Bill Baringo North MP William Cheptumo said they will be releasing a timetable on the process early next week to give interested parties adequate time to prepare their presentation.

“We will give all stakeholders time to appear, either in person or present their memoranda in support or against the Bill. IEBC, political parties, religious organisations and all other players will have their say,” said Cheptumo.

Legislators from the majority Jubilee side insisted that contrary to allegations by the Opposition, the proposed law will not curtail powers of independent institutions.

Senate Deputy Speaker Kithure Kindiki said the Bill was meant to address glaring challenges in electoral laws, some of which were pointed out at the Supreme Court. “It is the duty of Parliament to legislate and nobody will stop us from doing what is right for this country. We need to correct some of the challenges in the laws that came out during the presidential petition, before we head for a repeat poll,” he said.

But NASA leaders protested that the Bill was in bad faith, saying it had the risk of eroding democratic gains made over years. Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa cautioned that the Bill was too sensitive to be introduced when the political temperatures in the country are high. He also said pushing the proposed law through parliamentary processes was suspect.

“The principle is that you cannot change rules of the game at half time, and that is where we are now. We will oppose this attempt by Jubilee to abuse their numbers in Parliament to push this law,” Wamalwa said.

“This marks the beginning of a parliamentary onslaught to push the country back to dark days. We may be few in the House but we are strong and majority of Kenyans are with us in opposing these changes,” added Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang’.