IEBC in the firing line in scramble for vote blocks

The opposition National Super Alliance (Nasa) has now trained its guns on the electoral commission, saying the agency should not conduct the upcoming review of constituency boundaries.

Constituency boundaries are generally a testy affair in Kenyan politics as the country’s electoral processes rely heavily on these artificial zones which are, in essence, vote baskets for politicians.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) plans to review constituency borders after a population census next year.

The process usually takes into account the population of a zone and its size, meaning heavily populated areas of the country automatically have more electoral zones.

BOUNDARIES REVIEW

Because of the high stakes involved, politicians have been known to influence drawing of census reports as well as constituency boundaries, and Tuesday, while calling for a “thorough reform” of the IEBC, the Raila Odinga-led Nasa coalition said that, as currently constituted, the agency cannot be trusted to run a review of the electoral zones.

“Given the amendments that Jubilee introduced to the election laws agreed on in the run-up to the 2017 polls, and having presided over elections marred by illegalities and irregularities, the IEBC cannot preside over the review of boundaries expected in 2018,” Nasa added.

The statement followed a meeting of the Nasa summit comprising the four principals of the coalition — Mr Odinga, Mr Kalonzo Musyoka of Wiper, Mr Musalia Mudavadi of Amani National Congress, and Ford-Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula.

Nasa accused the IEBC of bungling the August 8 presidential election.

The Supreme Court agreed with the position, nullified the poll, and ordered a fresh one.

POLL BOYCOTT

But Nasa boycotted the October 26 rerun protesting lack of reforms in the electoral body.

It has since then called for electoral reforms, which it says are needed to have a fair election.

It said Tuesday it will dedicate its efforts in the coming months “to the single issue of the realisation of electoral justice, which entails a thorough reform of the electoral body, the laws governing it, and the nature of the relationship it maintains with State agencies that influence its operations”.

The coalition also asked its members to stop discussion of the 2022 elections. “Nasa remains firm that there can be no elections in 2022 unless the causes of the irregularities and illegalities witnessed in 2017 are fully identified and addressed,” the principals said.

But, away from electoral issues, Daily Nation learnt that the principals also discussed housekeeping matters.

NASA AGREEMENT

Among these issues are the Nasa coalition agreement, which Mr Musyoka, Mr Mudavadi and Mr Wetang’ula insist bars Mr Odinga and his ODM from presenting a candidate in 2022.

“Also discussed were the recent remarks by former Kakamega senator Boni Khalwale, who reportedly said that the swearing in of Mr Odinga on January 30 — the matter which had divided Nasa down the middle — was a non-issue,” said an aide of one of the principals who is privy to the details of the meeting at Karen.

Mr Odinga’s “betrayal” remarks at a funeral in Siaya also came up, with the other principals feeling the statement could only widen the rift in the coalition.

Mr Odinga on Saturday hinted that the other principals were thinking of betraying him and vowed that he would soldier on alone.

Meanwhile, Mr Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party dismissed the latest call by Nasa for the country to adopt the Bomas Draft constitution. 

 National Assembly majority leader Aden Duale yesterday said Kenya cannot be turned into a guinea pig to test various systems “that will help Mr Odinga ascend to power”.

He was responding to yesterday’s lead story in the Nation in which some Nasa leaders described the Bomas Draft as the “best expression of the people’s aspirations”.

KILIFI DRAFT

The draft, which was later drastically changed in Kilifi and later rejected at a November 2005 referendum, proposed the country to have an elected president and a deputy, and an appointed prime minister who will head the Cabinet.

ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, while insisting that Nasa was focused on fighting for electoral justice, said that the Bomas Draft was becoming attractive.

“We will always hold the Bomas Draft as the best expression of the people’s aspirations, but right now our focus is on electoral justice,” Mr Sifuna said.

The Nasa leaders had on Friday said in a statement after meeting at Mr Odinga’s Capitol Hill office that the Bomas Draft contains cures to the problems of inclusion, strengthening of devolution, the shape of the Executive, and security sector reforms.

But yesterday Mr Duale said Kenyans have always preferred to directly elect their chief executive.

Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni (Jubilee) asked Nasa to canvass widely and explore legal mechanisms if they want to amend the Constitution.