The Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) chairman Charles Nyachae. The CIC has rejected the Cabinet plan to push the elections date to December next year September 14, 2011. FILE
By NATION TEAM newsdesk@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Wednesday, September 14 2011 at 22:30
Posted Wednesday, September 14 2011 at 22:30
The Cabinet was Wednesday accused of mischief and impunity over its plan to change the date of the next elections. (Read: Cabinet moves to change Kenya's election date)
The Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) and MPs Abdikadir Mohammed and Eugene Wamalwa warned against amending the new Constitution to move the General Election from August to December 2012.
CIC chair Charles Nyachae said the decision was driven by short-term, selfish interests of a few politicians.
“The CIC is alarmed by the Cabinet decision to propose an amendment to the Constitution of Kenya 2010 to alter the elections date from August to December. This act is a continuation of impunity and it is a worrying trend with regard to the realisation of the new dispensation which the Constitution promises through the reform process,” he said.
Mr Mohammed, the chairman of the parliamentary Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC), urged caution.
“We should be wary about making early amendments to the Constitution. The longer we hold the better because if we are not careful, we will soon be amending it left and right,” he said.
Mr Wamalwa said the reasons given were frivolous.
Mr Wamalwa said the reasons given were frivolous.
“It is not good to start amending the Constitution even before the ink has dried. It is such amendments in quick succession that made the Independence Constitution lose its soul,” he said in Nairobi.
They were reacting to Tuesday’s decision by the Cabinet to approve the Constitution Amendment Bill 2011 which seeks to change the elections date, among other issues.
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