CORD’s Barriers To The IEBC Impasse Is Motive To Cause Constitutional Crisis

Devolution CS Mwangi Kiunjuri, Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria and Kiambu Women Representative Anne Nyokabi Gathecha have told off CORD leader Raila Odinga and CORD’s threat that if the Independent & Boundaries Commission (IEBC) failed to establish an integrated electronic electoral system that enabled biometric voter registration, electronic voter identification and electronic transmission of results, the opposition would refuse to accept next year’s election results.

Speaking in Igegania Primary School Ground in Gatundu North during the Homecoming celebrations of Bishop Amos Mwangi Waithaka of the African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA) the three argued that this was just a ploy by the opposition to throw a spanner in the works with the aim of causing a constitutional crisis ahead of the next polls as he was sure that Jubilee was poised to win with a landslide.

“We are used to his endless cries and complains. When one is unable to achieve their goals, they always look for a scapegoat to blame. How do you tell your supporters not to vote if the electronic voter identification fails to identify them? If the systems fail, Kenyans will be identified manually as it is in the law. Is he the only one with the ability to always see the wrongs in others?” asked Kiunjuri.

Kiunjuri asked Jubilee supporters to arm themselves with ID cards and the voters’ cards as this was the only way that they would fight for their government.

“As they (CORD) waste their time demonstrating in the streets, just continue registering yourselves as voters in large numbers and I promise you that these people will not know what really hit them. Termites never make noise as they cut down the fence. But eventually when the wind blows, the fence tumbles,” said the CS.

He called for unity among the Jubilee supporters, urging them to support the government of the day in its endeavours to better the lives of Kenyans.

Kuria said that even after interrogating the IEBC Commissioners for over a month, their committee never found any of them culpable of election malpractices but since as Jubilee they wanted to avoid blame games come 2017, they just let it go and agreed that the commissioners resign.

“However, we have been against the idea of political parties getting involved in the appointments of the new commissioners as this is tantamount to interfering with the electoral process. We have allowed religious leaders to take over that process so as to guarantee everyone a fair play,” said Kuria.

He dismissed the notion that elections could not be held in case the BVR systems failed as this was not reason enough to disqualify the entire process.

“If by any chance the electronic system failed, we will still go ahead and vote in the traditional way as our constitution allows so. It is everyone’s right to vote whether the technology works or fails. It is our prayer too that it works,” he said.

He warned President Uhuru Kenyatta against agreeing to sit down with Raila Odinga in a quest to discuss any form of power sharing as this was the reason behind all this noise by the opposition.

He advised former vice-president Musalia Mudavadi not to use his presidential bid to hold his Luhya community hostage until he won elections as the president of this country.

“Does he want his people to keep waiting for him to win the elections for them to support the government of the day? If they feel the need to work with the Jubilee Government, let them be. Remember, we won the 2013 elections without the Luhya, Kisii, Luo and Kamba vote. Even if we go to sleep right now, we are guaranteed of our 51%. What we are looking for is to convince more and more Kenyans who will guarantee us a 70% + 1 win,” he said.

Kiambu Women Rep, chided Raila Odinga for always employing the politics of yester years that were no longer applicable to modern Kenya. She argued that the reason Raila was objecting every progress that was being made in this IEBC impasse was because he had read the sign on the wall that as clearly asking him to give in to defeat.

“This time round, Kenyans are looking for visionary leaders who support development of their area. You (Raila) are fond of fighting development in the guise of fighting corruption yet we never hear you talk about it when governors from your coalition are involved,” said Nyokabi.