Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) leader Raila Odinga has promised to push for electoral reforms to curb rigging as he prepares to contest for the presidency in 2017.
He said this when he met scholars from Nyanza at a Kisumu hotel Sunday.
His assertions came after some of the scholars pointed out that voters were becoming disillusioned because of alleged ‘vote stealing’ in the past two presidential elections.
“They stole our elections but it is now choking them. I have realised that vote rigging starts as early as registration and therefore there is need for us to be vigilant and create laws that can guard against this vice,” said Raila.
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He said rigging starts at the national identification and voter registration levels, alleging that former Immigration minister Otieno Kajwang’ faced numerous challenges when he attempted to push for ID and voter registration.
Waiting card
The exercise, he said, took off but the Opposition would later face a challenge because many adults from CORD regions did not have national ID cards.
He said they later tried through the National Assembly with Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo moving an amendment.
“Midiwo later tried to amend the Registration of Persons Act by pushing for use of a waiting card to register as a voter but his efforts were thwarted by Independent Electoral and Boundaries commission (IEBC) Chair Issack Hassan who insisted on ID cards,” said Raila.
CORD leader said this delayed the issuance of over two million ID cards to those who had applied for them and by the time registration was being stopped, CORD zones had only registered around 70 per cent only while central region had over 110 per cent voter registration.
“But it is not only this, many of Nyanza residents were also relaxed in going to register as voters, and this also led to the low voter registration,” said the CORD leader.
He said it is because of these flaws that they are pushing for electoral reforms through Okoa Kenya initiative.
The scholars formed a body to spur economic growth in the region and vowed to use their various expertise to support and steer the CORD leader to State House.
“Politics and economic growth are intertwined and therefore politicians should not fear or condemn any person who wants to bring development in Nyanza, but embrace and work with them to spur growth in Nyanza,” said Prof John Oucho, who led the academia.
