NOT FAIR! Midiwo raises red flag over proposed poll laws, says they favour Uhuru

Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo has condemned Jubilee MPs and Senators for using their numbers in Parliament to change Act 44 of the Elections Law.

Speaking at a Press Briefing in Kakamega County, Midiwo said the Opposition party will not participate in the General Election, scheduled for August, if the proposed electoral laws will not be amended.

The Leader of the Minority Leader argued that there was no need to take part in the elections if the laws governing the process were not favourable to all parties.

Midiwo went on to argue that the amendments to the law were ill motivated, adding that it seemed that Jubilee was pushing for the changes with an aim of stealing votes in the next election.

On Thursday, Senate voted to uphold the amendments instituted on the electoral laws by the National Assembly – amendments that reintroduced manual voter identification and transmission of election results in cases where the electronic system fails.

Jubilee argues that there is a need for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to have a voter register back up and an alternative mode of election results transmission.

The Opposition is in agreement with Jubilee on this but insists that the backup plan should also be electronic, not manual.

CORD argues that the manual voter identification is a ploy by Jubilee and IEBC to rig the election in favour of the incumbent, President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The Opposition argued that by allowing unauthorized Senators to take a vote in Senate, the Speaker acted in violation of the Constitution of Kenya 2013 and the Standing Orders and should be held accountable for abuse of office.

However, the Jubilee legislators, led by Senate Majority Leader Kithure Kindiki and Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo Marakwet), dismissed CORD’s argument as unfounded and malicious.