Election in four counties in Nyanza region has been postponed indefinitely following violent confrontation between residents and security forces who have vowed to keep off IEBC officials.
NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 29- A group of Jubilee legislators have asked their counterparts in the opposition to stop what they term as continued intimidation of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
The six legislators led by Nyeri Town Member of Parliament Ngunjiri Wambugu, want the electoral body to be allowed to execute its mandate without interference, as envisaged in the constitution.
They are specifically concerned by statements by leaders in the Nyanza region, who have vowed to stop IEBC from holding any repeat presidential poll.
But according to them, the region is not entirely an opposition stronghold, since there are people who support President Uhuru Kenyatta who would want to exercise their democratic right, in a peaceful environment.
“It is a fallacy that any particular part of Kenya is exclusive to a single political position must be debunked. The truth is that in every part of the country there will be Kenyans who support and vote for the dominant party even as there will be other Kenyans who will vote outside the expected regional preference,” the leaders said in a joint statement.
“In Nyeri Town constituency for example where one of the undersigned serves as Member of Parliament, 190 people out of 66,976 people who voted during yesterday’s elections voted for Raila Odinga.
Presidential candidates Ekuru Aukot, Mohammed Dida, Cyrus Jirongo, Micheal Wainaina, Joseph Nyaga and Japheth Kaluyu also got some votes in the constituency. This is despite the fact that Nyeri Town is a Jubilee stronghold where Uhuru Kenyatta got 99.3% of the total vote cast yesterday.”
IEBC has since postponed election in those areas after violent protests that has claimed lives and left amount of unknown amount destroyed.
The areas affected are Kisumu, Homabay, Migori and Siaya Counties, all perceived NASA strongholds.
“Our constitution gives every Kenyan the right to vote. It also gives every Kenyan the right not to vote. However, none of these rights is greater than the other. They also cannot be transferred. This means that the governors of the four counties cannot decide for all their residents whether IEBC should open in the counties, or not,” MP Wambugu said.
“It also means that the governors, religious leaders or business community cannot decide whether the voters in the respective counties will vote, or not. Even if only one voter wants to vote IEBC must open the voter’s polling station for him to vote.”
Others leaders were Mukurwe-Ini MP Anthony Kiai, Patrick Munune (Igabang’ombe constituency), Catherine Waruguru (Laikipia County Woman Representative), James Gichuhi (Tetu consticuency) and Peter Kihara (Mathioya Consticuency).
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