Kenyans in diaspora want presidential results announced at constituency level

IEBC boss Wafula Chebukati

Kenyans living in the diaspora want the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to announce presidential election results at constituency level in the August 8th polls.

Let by the Raila Odinga's presidential campaign liaison committee co-chair Joseph Nyarango, the members of the diaspora say this will ensure no one rigs the elections.

"We congratulate the High Court judges Weldon Korir, Aggrey Muchelule and Enoch Chacha Mwita who declared null and void, the law that required presidential election results to be subjected to alterations at the national tallying centre," Nyarango said.

He noted the ruling shows the respect judges accord the rule of law, constitutionalism, democracy and fairness in the electoral process.

"It should also be remembered that, the tallying of votes at the constituency level will allow Kenyan voters to own the process and witness how their votes are counted rather than leaving the crucial task to the top IEBC officials," Nyarango said.

The team also congratulated the UN special rapporteur Maina Kiai, Khelef Khalifa and Tirop Kitur, for challenging the archaic law which left the presidential election results at the mercy of top IEBC officials.

"We now challenge Wafula Chebukati, the IEBC boss and his team to come clean on their motives for challenging the ruling made by the three judges," Nyarango said.

He said Kenyans are tired of constitutional bodies siding with the Executive instead of acting as neutral bodies to safeguard national interests.

"We want to remind the (IEBC), that the demand by NASA to have the results declared at the 41,000 gazetted polling stations countrywide, as the final results in the presidential election is in tandem with the law and, any move to alter it will be a travesty to democracy and the spirit of free, fair, credible and verifiable election," said Fred Osewe of the Raila campaign diaspora team.

He added, "We wonder which interests the IEBC is serving when Kenyans expected the electoral body to portray neutrality in the management of an election. Kenyans cannot condone any acts of omission or commission that might submerge the country into another post-election fiasco like the one experienced in 2007."

He reminded Kenyans that, a society which fails to learn from past missteps will never heal or build new structures for improvement.

"The relaying of final results from constituencies under the supervision of returning officers, agents, the media, internal and external election observers is the most transparent way of managing an election. Any steps to reverse this will be a tragedy to the country," Nyarango said.

He pointed out that in advanced democracies like the USA, votes are tallied at polling centres where the media captures the results as they trickle in.

"We need to promote this type of system in Kenya because of its authenticity and accuracy. The system will also ensure that, returning officers, election observers and agents are key in safeguarding and upholding a free and fair election," Nyarango said.

Osewe challenged IEBC chairman, Wafula Chebukati to tell Kenyans why he trusts the work at the national tallying centre but fail to trust what happens at the grass roots where voting takes place.

"It's sad that when a mechanism geared towards safeguarding free and fair election is put in place, resistance from the electoral body and the government hits a crescendo. The jubilee government is trying to use every means to manage the election for a favorable outcome," Osewe said.

The team accused Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaisery, for being biased against members of the opposition in the current election season.

"Nkaissery has in the past threatened NASA leaders with arrests merely because they are critical to the Jubilee government. It must also be remembered that civil servants are supposed to serve all Kenyans with impartiality irrespective of their political leanings," Nyarango said.