Jubilee election losers say squabbling ahead of repeat polls driving Kenya to a precipice

 

NARC leader Martha Karua(left) and William Kabogo in Nairobi when they called for dialogue between Uhuru, Raila and other leaders 15/10/17-Beverlyne Musili, Standard

A section of Jubilee-allied leaders who lost in the last elections have warned that the country is on the verge of disintegration.

Narc Kenya Leader Martha Karua, former governors William Kabogo, Samuel Ragwa, ex-MPs Ndung’u Gethenji, Kabando wa Kabando, Peter Mositet and Dr Kilemi Mwiria Sunday asked President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga to seek a political solution.

Supporting Uhuru’s reelection, the politicians said the prevailing political environment could not allow a fresh presidential election and urged the President and Raila to talk to end the confrontation.

They said lack of preparedness by the electoral agency and grandstanding by both Jubilee and the National Super Alliance (NASA) was creating despondency among Kenyans.

The leaders who spoke at a hotel Nairobi further called for an immediate, all-inclusive national dialogue on electoral reforms.

“The escalating legislative, judicial and public protests surrounding the IEBC’s handling of the fresh presidential election calls for bold, nonpartisan interventions to not only calm the deteriorating situation, but also rescue our nation from disintegrating,” said the leaders in a statement read by Mr Kabando.

They said both Jubilee and NASA must talk and agree on the rules of the game for a successful repeat election.

Failure to agree on a level playing field, the leaders said, will plunge the country into violence as there would be no confidence in the process.

They also want the two protagonists to drop people around them and engage directly in reaching a negotiated position quickly, arguing that the top leaders were surrounded by hawks.

“We fear that destructive elements are inciting our security forces, the electoral agency itself and even other critical national leadership to cause havoc, violence and grandstanding that may break this country,” added the statement.

“Let us not destroy the hard-won democratic gains we have made over the last two decades. We must all say never again shall we stand on the edge of the cliff; never again shall we stare into the abyss of 2007/8,”

Raila has since pulled out of the poll set for October 26, citing failure by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to undertake major reforms.

Part of NASA demands included firing of the commission’s chief executive officer Ezra Chiloba and other top officials.

On the other hand, Jubilee Party last week used its numerical strength in both the Senate and the National Assembly to pass controversial amendments to the election laws, compounding the delicate political situation in the country.

Raila’s withdrawal from the race was partly because of the ruling party’s pushing of the changes that will make it difficult for the Supreme Court to annul another presidential election.

Coming after an angry President Uhuru vowed to fix the Judiciary following the annulment of the August 8 presidential election by the Supreme Court of Kenya, the amendment are seen as being done in bad faith.

The opposition has rejected the amendments while Western diplomats and faith-based groups have termed them as inappropriate considering that they are introduced weeks before the repeat presidential poll.

 The Bill currently before the President for signing is also seeking to entrench manual transmission of voting results while whittling down the powers of the IEBC Chairman as the National Returning Officer.

Ms Karua said the two leaders were the only ones that could end the political puzzle and allow the country to participate in another presidential election in a peaceful environment.

She said there was time for the leaders to dialogue so as to prevent the country from breaking into violence.

Scores of people have died since the August 8 nullified polls and the situation may deteriorate after the opposition announced daily protests starting today to demand for electoral reforms.

The leaders, however, clarified that they were not rooting for a caretaker or coalition government since it is not provided for in the constitution.