But people are saying that we need to go back to IPPG. When going back to IPPG, people forget that the Constitution at that time had given the powers of appointment of commissioners to the then President. That was the situation. So there was need to negotiate with the president, because, he is the one who had the powers. But this Constitution, is very clear, the President doesn’t have those powers. And I believe that this is precisely what is happening right now.
Now, when we don’t follow those procedures, when we now go and get our people excited, because maybe some don’t fully understand, and it looks like so and so is refusing to talk. That is why I said, look, for the sake of bringing Kenyans together, I am willing to meet my colleagues, but even as we meet with our colleagues, it is to bring the country together but we can’t engage in this particular subject, because engagement has to be where it belongs, which is what is happening right now. And I do hope that our colleagues will also, in good faith, because they are interacting now, sit down, create this committee, look into the issues, bring it to the floor of Parliament, and address the IEBC situation comprehensively, to the satisfaction of all parties, but most importantly, to the satisfaction of the 42 million Kenyans. And I, both as President and as an individual citizen of Kenya, will support whatever recommendations that they come up with, in order to be able to get a way forward.
Now, when it comes to this issue of loss of lives, and this is why I am saying, if again you want to demonstrate, you also have a responsibility of saying to your people, that “look, we want to demonstrate on IEBC, take them through a process of what a demonstration is, and that is why we keep saying, notify the police, because wherever you have seen an incident or problem, it is because supporters have gone out, as they gone out to attend a rally, either on their way there or on their way back, pelting Kondele Police Station. Now what does Kondele Police Station have to do with IEBC? So what happens there? The police are then forced into a situation where they have to react.
When you have a scenario like it happened in Migori where prison officers who were transporting prisoners from police stations to courts of law are also attacked. What do they have to do with IEBC? And it is this kind of confusion that results in actions being taken. Because then it is reported that it was part of the demonstration. When Naivas supermarket is being stoned and looted, what are police supposed to do? Should they say that “oh, no, this is part of the demonstration” and yet the management is saying “We are being looted, protect us because you policemen are meant to be protecting us”. What does Naivas have to do with IEBC?
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