Lusaka, Kisia warn against changing of poll date

By Robert Wanyonyi and Peter Atsiaya

Civil servants who resigned to vie for various positions in the next General Election are threatening to take the Government to court should the election date be changed.

Former Livestock Development Permanent Secretary Ken Lusaka announced that he’s in the process of mobilising fellow colleagues to take legal action should the current stand-off over delay in the delivery of BVR kits to be used in the voter registration and General Election lead to the change of the date.

Speaking in Bungoma, Mr Lusaka who resigned to run for the Governorship of Bungoma County, expressed worries over the manner in which preparations for the next elections are being handled by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

“We want to inform the Government that we will not take the current confusion lying down. We are going to seek legal redress should the election date be changed due to the self-imposed delay in securing the BVR kits,” warned Lusaka.

Duping them

He accused the Government of duping civil servants eying seats in the coming polls to resign their positions in anticipation of the electoral process that the Government still wants to manipulate.

Lusaka’s sentiments were supported by former Nairobi Town Clerk Phillip Kisia, who warned members of Parliament against any further extension of their current term in the august House.

“Let the MPs be warned that should they extend their current term by even a single day, we are going to tackle them the hard way,” warned Kisia without elaborating the consequences.

The Nairobi Governor aspirant lamented that majority of the former civil servants are almost running bankrupt because they had budgeted their finances up to the end of 2012, adding that even the March 4, 2013 date was also not in their earlier plans.

But speaking to The Standard on telephone, Justice Minister Eugene Wamalwa reiterated that the election date would not be altered, adding that everything was on schedule.

Though he conceded that the delay in sourcing of the BVR kits has created anxiety among Kenyans, Mr Wamalwa said the matter has been settled and the kits would arrive in time to beat the deadline.

Back on track

“I understand their (former civil servants’) worries and they are justified to demand for their rights, but I want to advise them to drop any plans for legal action because it won’t be necessary because things are now back on track,” appealed Wamalwa.