Kalonzo: Poll date no longer secret weapon

By Robert Nyasato

Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka has said elections should be held this year and Kenyans should not be held ransom over the polling date.

He said the era when incumbents kept the General Election date as a secret weapon for political expediency died with enactment of the Constitution, which levelled the playing ground for presidential contenders.

Kalonzo said the election should be held in December, this year, as proposed by the Independent Election and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and Kenyans.

“There is no need to keep Kenyans guessing over the election day, as nobody will pretend to perform miracles for Kenyans whose right to information is enshrined in the Constitution,” he said.

Speaking at Iranya in Kitutu-Masaba, Nyamira County, Kalonzo said IEBC should determine the election date and chairman Isaack Hassan’s proposal should be respected.

Hassan had earlier in the week announced he would petition President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to dissolve Parliament by October to pave way for the General Election. Kalonzo said subsequent General Elections would be held in line with the Constitution, which puts polls on the second Tuesday of August of the fifth year.

He invited those who have been dismissing him as a weakling to a rally in Machakos on Saturday where he said he would respond to criticism and define his political agenda.