Controversial Election Bill passed in Parliament

dennis kibet

October 11, 2017 11:24 AM

The Jubilee-dominated parliament have unanimously passed the bills on the floor of the House.

The National Assembly has passed the controversial bill to amend the election laws.

The MPs on Wednesday passed the bill that allows manual results transmission and the declaration of presidential winner if the sole opponent withdraws.

According to Bill chaired by Baringo North MP William Cheptumo, the financial penalties on election officials who fail to do their job has been doubled from Sh1 million to Sh2 million in addition to a five-year jail term.

The NASA leadership ordered its affiliated members in the Senate and the National Assembly to boycott proceedings as Jubilee tables Bills on the controversial amendments to election laws terming them as illegal.

The NASA legislators also called on the Speakers of both Houses to do the right thing in the name of justice, terming the proceedings as criminal activities and could, according to them, constitute the staging of a coup.

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday said he will assent to election laws bills once passed by Parliament.

“I have no problem with that law and if Parliament passes (the bills), I will sign, I don’t have any problem with it because it contains contentious issues raised by the opposition,” he said.

While officially announcing his withdrawal from the repeat elections that was scheduled to take place on October 26, NASA leader Raila Odinga blamed Jubilee for acting in bad faith aimed at reversing the process of electoral reforms.

"The Jubilee administration’s proposed amendment to the election laws demonstrates that it has no intention of competition on a level playing field. The only election Jubilee administration is interested in is one that it must win, even unlawfully," Odinga stated.

dennis kibet