CIC chairman Charles Nyachae told journalists on Friday that the law was very clear on how the President-elect and his deputy should be handled once declared winners/FILE
CIC chairman Charles Nyachae told journalists on Friday that the law was very clear on how the President-elect and his deputy should be handled once declared winners.
Kenyatta and Ruto have been receiving briefings from the country’s top security agents, meeting foreign envoys and other government officials, eliciting complaints from CORD officials.
Prime Minister Raila Odinga and other CORD luminaries have been complaining about the meetings, arguing that the two leaders have not been sworn-into office.
“The Assumption of Office of the President Act, 2012 provides at Section 11 that the president-elect will receive briefs from such public officers as he considers necessary,” he observed.
“And remember the president- elect is the person who is declared by the IEBC at the conclusion of the election to have been elected as president,” he added.
Outgoing PM Raila Odinga is also on record complaining that the Head of the Civil Service Francis Kimemia had referred to him as Mr Raila in a letter addressed to him instead of the Right Honourable Prime Minister.
Nyachae further argued that all constitutional office holders would be committing an offence if they declined to give Kenyatta the briefs.
“The public officers have a statutory obligation to give the president the brief and if you look at Section 11 of the Assumption of Office of the President Act, 2012 it is an offence to fail to provide the brief if it requested for,” he said.
On Thursday, Government Spokesman Muthui Kariuki issued a statement defending Kenyatta and Ruto saying it was within the confines of the law to get security briefs.
CORD officials have however maintained that the briefings are illegal because the two have not formally occupied the country’s top offices.
Kenyatta on Thursday responded to the criticism saying he would continue collecting Kenyans’ expectations on his leadership to ensure that the Jubilee government fulfilled its promises.
“We are not going to waste one single moment that God has given us because we are waiting for a ruling. The judicial process proceeds and the Jubilee government continues to prepare to govern this nation,” he said.
He added that it was important for the country’s leaders to move the country forward in nation building whether or not they were elected.
“Kenyans are not ready to see us, as leaders, continue to bicker while they continue to suffer,” he said.
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