Senators agreed to pass the amended electoral laws Murkomen

Elgeyo Marakwet Senator, Kipchumba Murkomen, alleges that the Senate reached a consensus to uphold changes instituted by the National Assembly to the Election Laws (Amendment) Act, 2016.

Last week, The Senate voted in favour of the amendments that will now see the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) use manual back-up in cases where the electronic system fails.

Speaking during the burial of once nominated Member of Parliament in the retired President Daniel Arap Moi’s regime, Mark Too, in Kapseret, Murkomen said that the Upper House acted within the confines of the law.

He further alleged that following the consensus between the ruling Jubilee Party and the opposition Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD), some members of the opposition voted in favour of the law.

“The Bill passed by 26 votes, including two from CORD Senators. All the Ford-Kenya (party) members voted with us except Moses Wetangula,” claimed Senator Muromen.

The amendments have been the centre of contention with the opposition arguing that the Jubilee administration is planning to use the manual system to steal the election.

However, Jubilee says that the manual back-up plan will ensure that all voters are identified and results transmitted without any hitches in cases where technology fails.