Siaya Woman Representative Christine Ombaka, Funyula MP Paul Otuoma and Senator James Orengo during the launch of Ugenya Teachers Training College in Siaya county, May 30, 2014 Photo|Jacob Owiti
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Politicians from the opposition Cord coalition Friday said they want foreigners to head the electoral commission, demanding that current officials be disbanded.
The leaders, who spoke during the ground breaking of Ugenya teachers training college in Siaya County, said the county cannot run another election when the team led by IEBC chairman Issack Hassan is still in office.
Senator James Orengo said the management of previous elections has been difficult with Kenyans at the helm.
He said non-partisan officials were therefore required to conduct of polls in the country and can only be possible by non-Kenyans.
Mr Orengo said the government must consider holding a national dialogue on the issue of election before July 7 or risk a call for mass action.
“We are giving them up to 'saba saba’ to sit with us and talk on these critical matters of the IEBC, corruption and other maladies facing the country today,” he said.
The Senator said change that Kenyans have been yearning for all this time must now come through all means available.
“We will not run away from the push towards ideal democracy; 50 years is long enough for a country to be singing the same of song of change,” he said.
Ruaraka MP Tom Kajwang said the IEBC issues cannot be glossed over anymore as they were becoming complacent to Kenyan’s calls.
He said wananchi had lost confidence in the commission therefore must be reconstituted and not readjusted.
“We want a total overhaul of the IEBC to make it lean; the commission must also be allowed to outsource officers like we witnessed in Afghanistan and Myanmar,” said Mr Kajwang’
UN TO RUN ELECTIONS
He said the elections in the country were better conducted under the auspices of the United Nations to boost confidence of Kenyans on polls.
Mr Kajwang further lashed at the electoral commission for rolling out a secret voter listing which he said was also being partially done.
“From the on goings on the day, we cannot sit back and watch other regions being sidelined in the registration drive; worse still, they said there was no register ahead of 2013 poll and we wonder what they are using to register people today,” he said.
Kisumu Central MP Ken Obura said the quest to disband the commission is not about Jubilee or Cord.
He said more than 90 per cent of Kenyans have lost faith in the commission and therefore must go home.
“The contest of elections in Kenya has now been reduced on how much people can rig; we want a body that all people have confidence, a matter which does not require the numbers in parliament they always boast about,” he said.
He said the coalition will use all means legal and constitutional to put the Jubilee administration in check owing to the excesses of impartial appointments, corruption and mismanagement seen in the last one year they have been in power.
“What do have with a government where all appointments are drawn from Rift Valley and Central province?” he asked.
Awendo MP Jared Kopiyo said the country was on 'auto pilot’ simply because of the errors at the polls.
Mr Kopiyo said the political divisions risk tearing the country apart, with the corrective measure being only possible through a clean, corruption-free electoral process which IEBC cannot guarantee.
“They must accept that the election was stolen, seek Kenyans’ forgiveness other than hold a prayer breakfast conducted by their sycophants,” said Ms Millie Odhiambo (Mbita MP).
Ms Odhiambo said Cord would call Kenyans to the streets to protest the election crisis in the country until sanity is restored in the commission.
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