NASA raises voters register concerns with African Union

From right: NASA presidential running mate Kalonzo Musyoka, Kitui Governor Julius Malombe and senatorial aspirant Enoch Wambua at a rally at Nzewani, Kitui East yesterday. [Paul Mutua, Standard]

The National Super Alliance (NASA) on Friday met with the African Union (AU) elections monitoring team and raised concerns over the voters register.

The Opposition leaders, led by presidential candidate Raila Odinga, told the team led by former South African President Thabo Mbeki that there are legitimate and unresolved questions regarding the integrity of the voters register.

“The IEBC announced that it has uncovered thousands of dead voters in the register following an audit. However, after the dead were presumably removed, the number of voters went up instead of going down,” said Raila.

The Opposition have argued that the country’s election laws require that the register be published 60 days to the polls. That has not happened, with only 18 days left.

They have also questioned delays in the testing of the electronic voting system with only two weeks remaining to the polls. “We are equally deeply concerned at how the police and security agencies are being prepared to interfere in election activities,” said NASA running mate Kalonzo Musyoka.

The two groups discussed ways to eliminate the possibility of election rigging, emphasising that the country’s future depends on how the August elections are conducted. “The country cannot withstand another rigged poll,” said Raila.

Meanwhile, NASA has claimed that the Jubilee Party is hatching plans to deploy military to its strongholds to rig elections in its favour.

The Opposition claims it has credible information of military units based in Nakuru and Gilgil that are being prepared for deployment to six counties in Nyanza and Western.

“In this regard, we wish to draw the attention of the country to the fact that in addition to using the police, the Jubilee administration has plans to deploy military in parts of the country particularly in the counties of Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Kisumu, Kakamega and Bungoma in the run up to and after elections.” said a statement  signed by Secretaries General of the four affiliate parties. Leaders who issued the statement include Agnes Zani (ODM) Judy Sijenyi (Wiper), Eseli Simiyu (Ford Kenya), David Sang (CCM) and Godfrey Osotsi (ANC).

Similar claims were repeated by Kalonzo. Speaking yesterday at Misewani Market in Kitui County during the second day of his tour to galvanise Ukambani for NASA, Kalonzo alleged that a team of police officers and Kenya Defence Forces had been recruited and directed to temporarily resign from their positions awaiting special deployment during the elections.

“We are aware that those officers have been advised to resign and will be deployed to polling stations where part of their assignment would be to storm polling stations in our strongholds and cause chaos and disrupt the voting process. But even then we are urging you to stay strong and vigilant and refuse to be intimidated,” Kalonzo said.

He said Jubilee had sensed defeat and resorted to using mischievous ways to circumvent the will of Kenyans.

The Wiper Party leader reiterated that their confidence to win the election had been bolstered by Appellate Court’s ruling that the vote tally at the constituency tallying centres would be final. But Jubilee rubbished the claims as outrageous and reckless saying such utterances may cause mayhem and attack on security officers. “It is important at this juncture to warn Odinga that we have lessons of our bitter past,” said Majority Leader Aden Duale.