Changing elections date need not override greater concerns

The last of several attempts to move the election date from August to December has hit a brick wall. This came about after the mover of the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill 2018; Kimilili MP Chris Wamalwa failed to garner the requisite two thirds of parliamentarians to see his motion sail through. When the motion came up for a vote, there were only 187 MPs in the house, yet he needed the tacit support of 233 MPs.

In 2015, Ugenya constituency Member of Parliament David Ochieng attempted, through the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill 2015, to push the election date from August 2017 to December 2017. That attempt also failed.

At the time, there was uncertainty over the actual date of election after the promulgation of the 2010 constitution that introduced electoral changes.

The matter was put to rest following an advisory opinion by the Supreme Court and the then chairman of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Isaack Hassan declaring that subsequent general elections after the March 2013 one would be held on every second Tuesday of August.

The desire by some MPs to change the election date couldplausibly be viewed as selfish. While supporting the 2015 motion by Mr Ochieng, a section of MPs were aggrieved that holding elections in August would deny them a full five-year term as stipulated by the Constitution. Besides this, the other excuses did not hold water.

Some of the arguments advanced were that August elections would interfere with schools learning. But as the last elections proved, that was an erroneous assumption.

Others opined it would interfere with the budget-making process, yet that too did not impede the 2017/2018 budget making process.

Because there has been no compelling reasons to warrant changes in the election date, Parliament should tread with caution on this matter; even give it a break while it deliberates on issues that are of greater concern and impact on the common citizen.

After all, elections are just an event. There are issues causing such national concerns they are being catalyzed into calls for a referendum.

Issues of a high cost of living, insecurity, an unsupportable wage bill, debilitating foreign debts, poor service delivery by government agencies, food security, and a dysfunctional medical service, among many ills facing society, should override the need to change the election date.