Joseph Kinyua orders use of State cars in Uhuru campaigns

The government has mobilised official four-wheel vehicles from all ministries to be used in the final days of the Jubilee Party campaigns and on election day.

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua has, in a memo to all principal secretaries, asked them to release one vehicle each — preferably a Prado — to the Jubilee campaign to mobilise voters in various rallies across the country.

The memo, dated October 16, could land the Jubilee Party in trouble with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, whose regulations prohibit candidates in an election from using State resources in the campaigns.

KARANJA KIBICHO
Mr Kinyua, in the confidential memo marked “urgent” directs all PSs to hand over the vehicles to their Interior Affairs counterpart Karanja Kibicho for deployment.

“The government urgently requires strong and reliable 4WD vehicles for immediate deployment to various parts of the country.

"In this regard, each ministry is asked to immediately surrender one 4WD vehicle preferably a Prado.

"The vehicles should be handed over the latest today (October 16, 2017) to Dr (Eng) Karanja Kibicho, Principal Secretary, State Department for Interior,” he directs.

REPEAT ELECTION
The memo, which is also copied to all cabinet secretaries, reminds the PSs that vehicles should be well serviced and ready to be used immediately.

“You are once again reminded that the vehicles you hand in must be in tip-top performance condition and ready for immediate work deployment,” he says in the memo.

The directive by Mr Kinyua comes at a time when President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto are determined to go to the repeat election on October 26 as ordered by the Supreme Court.

Opposition flagbearer Raila Odinga has withdrawn from the race, accusing the IEBC of failing to carry out reforms that would guarantee a free, fair and credible election, courting criticism from the Jubilee presidential pair.

OFFENCE

The use of State resources was raised as one of the issues in the petition Mr Odinga filed at the Supreme Court to challenge President Kenyatta’s victory on August 8.

Even though the petition succeeded, President Kenyatta was absolved of the offence.

The Elections Law proposes a Sh2 million fine or a six-year jail term, or both for breach of the requirement not to use public resources in political activities.

“Except as authorised under this Act or any other written law, a candidate, referendum committee or other person shall not use public resources for the purpose of campaigning during an election or a referendum,” Section 14 of the Elections Act states.

PENALTY
In the run up to the August 8 polls elections, nominations under which the fresh elections apply, the Commission on Administration of Justice had asked the IEBC to disqualify a candidate or a political party that abets use of public resources in political activities.