MPs say election date will not change

Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Junior (left) and Gatundu South Member of Parliament Moses Kuria (centre), who are members of the joint select committee on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, with Central Organization of Trade Unions secretary-general Francis Atwoli at County Hall in Nairobi on July 26, 2016 before he presented his views to the group. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Committee tells that the next elections shall be held in August 2017 and they must accept they will serve for a shorter period than that set out in the Constitution.
  • Lawmakers in the committee told representatives of the MCAs and their Speakers that they had wrongly interpreted the Constitution with their push to have the elections moved to March 2018.

Members of the joint select committee on electoral reforms have told off MCAs over their push to have the General Election moved to 2018.

The committee told the ward representatives on Tuesday that the next elections shall be held in August, 2017 and they must accept they will serve for a shorter period than that set out in the Constitution.

Lawmakers in the committee told representatives of the MCAs and their Speakers that they had wrongly interpreted the Constitution with their push to have the elections moved to March, 2018.

The MPs spoke after Makueni County Speaker Stephen Ngelu presented the County Assembly Forum’s proposals on electoral reforms, which contained the assertion that the next elections should be held in March, 2018.

Moses Kuria (Gatundu South, TNA) said he was aware that there is a lot of anxiety among MCAs about the date of the next elections. “Let me assure you that as sure as day follows night, the next elections will be on August 8, 2017,” said Mr Kuria.

COURT'S RULING

Mutula Kilonzo Junior (Makueni, Wiper) said as per the Supreme Court’s ruling in December, 2012 regarding the date of the elections, leaders elected in 2013 were put on notice that their term would not be the full five years.

The committee’s co-chairpersons, senators Kiraitu Murungi and James Orengo, also pointed out sections of the Constitution they said the MCAs had ignored in putting forward their arguments. Mr Murungi said the MCAs and county Speakers had based their argument on selective reading of Article 177 on the county assemblies. But insisting that he wouldn’t dwell too much on the matter since the forum had filed a case in court, Mr Ngelu maintained MCAs had a solid basis for the proposal to move the election date.

“We all agree there is a conflict in the Constitution between the terms of the MCAs and other elected leaders. It is why the county assemblies have gone to court,” said Mr Ngelu. He said that like MPs, the reps at the county level have mortgages and loans to pay. “Personal interest is human,” he said in response to the accusations of selfishness. Mr Ngelu said the MCAs and county assembly Speakers would abide by the court ruling and insisted there would still not be enough time for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to prepare for polls.

Meanwhile,  the Central Organisation of Trade Unions has asked the select committee to do everything in its power to have IEBC commissioners leave office.

Cotu Secretary-General Francis Atwoli said that given the loss of confidence in the commission by the public and the widespread calls that its members leave office, there is no way back. Mr Atwoli said the President should have called the commissioners to State House and asked them to leave in the interests of having the next polls held in a better environment.