Jubilee MPs react to envoys' sanctions threat

Jubilee MPs addresssing journalists at Parliament buildings on October 3, 2017. PHOTO | SAMUEL OTIENO | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

By SAMWEL OWINO
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Jubilee MPs have defended the proposals to amend elections laws, telling foreign envoys, who appeared to criticise the move, that the changes are necessary.

The MPs said the move was necessary given the “extra ordinary’’ situation the country finds itself in after the nullification of the presidential poll.

The legislators said the amendments being championed by Jubilee are being pursued legally and constitutionally and therefore will not polarise the country.

Addressing a press conference Tuesday at Parliament Buildings, the MPs James Mwangi(Tetu), John Kiarie (Dagoretti South), Ndindi Nyoro (Kiharu), Patrick Mariru (Laikipia West), Peter Kihara (Mathioya), Anthony Kiai (Mukurweni), Ngunjuri Wambugu (Nyeri Town), Purity Ngiriki (Kirinyaga) instead blamed the opposition for polarising the country through their weekly street protests.

OPPOSITION

In a statement read by Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, the MPs said the opposition took the electoral agency to court several times just before the August poll and the diplomats did not raise any concern.

“We would have been happy for the distinguished diplomats to note that the international best practices do not have to subscribe to Nasa’s politics of provocation and threat,” he added.

On Monday, diplomats led by US Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec were critical of the attempts to make changes to electoral laws just days to the repeat poll.

“It is international best practice not to make changes to electoral laws without broad political agreement. If everyone were to agree on changes that needed to be made, that would be fine but at the moment, we would encourage everyone to look at international best practice and work together to bring the election and make it free, fair and credible and peaceful and hold it in the constitutional manner,” said Mr Godec.

TIMELINE

The envoys said the Election Laws Amendment Bill puts at risk the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s ability to conduct a better election within the mandated 60-day timeline.

The MPs however urged the envoys to give Kenya space and time as it implements the Constitution.

“We also want to point out that the countries whose envoys are imploring on us to observe best practices have never had an experience of invalidated presidential election. We doubt they have a measure of the best practice they would want us to emulate from them on this front,” Mr Wambugu said.