NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 3 — Deputy President William Ruto has raised a red flag over plans to review election-related laws touching on transmission and declaration of poll results saying the move is part of a plan to rig the forthcoming elections.
Ruto who was responding to newspapers reports on election law amendments said the changes are designed to make elections less accountable and create an enabling environment for rogue officials to overturn the popular will of the people.
Under the Elections Act, poll results declared at the polling station are final and the same are transmitted electronically as provisional results. The law also forbids variation of results at constituency and national tallying centres.
“The never-ending onslaught through election law amendments is a choreographed attempt to install a puppet on the Kenyan electorate and sabotage our freedom of choice and hard-earned democracy. The plan is evil and must fail. The people have resoundingly said HATUPANGWINGWI (We cannot be deceived),” Ruto, the presumed presidential candidate of the United Democratic Alliance said.
He termed the amendments fronted by House Majority Leader Amos Kimunya as a conspiracy to facilitate a smooth sail of Raila Odinga’s presidential bid against the will of the people.
“The desperate efforts to install project kitendawili (riddle) by forceful, illegal, undemocratic & unconstitutional means portends a troubled future for Kenya, its democracy, the rule of law, freedom of its citizens and, ultimately, everyone’s well-being,” he stated in a reference to Odinga who will be running for the top seat on an Azimio la Umoja Movement ticket, a coalition party.
The UDA party leader said the legislative changes “are fundamental ingredients of a coup” adding that the proposals threaten the sovereignty of Kenyans.
“The assaults on the Constitution through reckless legislative and administrative sleights off hand, by dark forces operating in shadows, are fundamental ingredients of a coup — the sovereignty of the people of Kenya is under grave threat,” he said.
Ruto-allied lawmakers have been vocal against changes to election laws and put up a relentless fight against changes to the Political Parties Act which allowed the creation of coalition political parties by constituent members of a political alliance.
The changes also gave the Registrar of Political Parties significant powers to determine party membership.
The reviewed law also specified circumstances when a party members will be deemed to have quit a political party by supporting rival outfits, giving the registrar significant powers to seal the fate of members deemed to have defected.
Gatundu South lawmaker Moses Kuria who leads the Chama Cha Kazi party termed proposed amendments to the election laws, especially those touching on transmission of results as a recipe for chaos.
“I can say without fear of contradiction that the Amendments proposed by ‘uprooter’ Amos Kimunya are a recipe for chaos. I will oppose. I urge Junet Mohammed to lead the Azimio team in opposing just like he did in 2016. Otherwise, you will cry in the toilet thinking you are fixing others. Utanikumbuka (You’ll remember me),” Kuria said in a statement Thursday.
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