Keep Off Electoral Matters, IEBC tells Odinga

IEBC chair Chairman Isaack Hassan, who was speaking during an official visit to Naivasha High School as part of the ongoing voter education exercise, said elections are not a preserve for anybody.

He called the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga to keep off the affairs of the commission.

The Chairman said the commission has a constitutional duty and external inteferences will not be tolerated.

He called on politicians to stop blaming the independent commission for their loss in elections and instead work hard to convince their electorate on why they should vote them in come 2017.

Hassan further intimated that the commission had made recommendations to Parliamentary Justice and Legal Affairs committee on amendments to the Elections Act.

Among the key recommendations by IEBC is to have political parties hold their nominations 90 days before the elections as opposed to the current 45 days.

“We also want education qualifications for MPs, Senators and Members of County Assemblies raised as they perform crucial legislative roles and as such should be held accountable”, Hassan added. 

The IEBC chair also emphasized that voter education was key to helping Kenyans understand their role during elections as well as making an informed choice.

He called on the youth to avoid being used by politicians to cause chaos noting that the move has always had negative effects in their future.

On voter registration, the chairman said they hoped to get 10 million Kenyans in their register but lack of funds could derail the process.

By Wangui Ngechu