Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission chairman Wafula Chebukati has called on the National Super Alliance to call off plans to hold street demonstrations Tuesday in a bid to oust the agency’s chiefs.
In a letter to Nasa secretariat chief Norman Magaya, Chebukati noted that the Commission has already written to Nasa regarding its demands and outlined steps they are taking to ensure credibility and integrity of the fresh presidential election.
Chebukati says calling off the protests will allow for dialogue during a consultative meeting planned for Wednesday.
“The Commission, nonetheless recognising your inalienable constitutional right to picket and demonstrate writes to request that you put-off the planned protests to enable the joint consultative meeting scheduled for Wednesday, the 27th of September 2017 to address the various concerns raised by stakeholders,” he said.
The IEBC chair’s letter came hours after President Uhuru Kenyatta said Nasa supporters are free to protest but warned them against destroying other people’s properties.
Speaking in Chuka, while on a campaign blitz of Tharaka Nithi and Embu counties, the President said he would not allow violence and anarchy to be unleashed on Kenyans under the guise of demonstrations against electoral agency.
“People are free to demonstrate but they must ensure that they do not destroy other people’s property. Mama mboga’s vegetables will not be destroyed. Businesses will not be attacked. Let them not think that they will break into other people’s shops and interfere with the daily routine of other Kenyans,” President Kenyatta said.
“That, we shall not allow,” President Kenyatta said.
He advised the opposition to stop fighting with IEBC and instead go to seek votes from the people.
“They (opposition) have to decide whether they want to be the adjudicators or the candidates because they cannot be both,” President Kenyatta said.
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He said the Constitution is clear that the only way for one to become President of the Republic was through the ballot, so the opposition should concentrate on seeking votes from the electorate like he is doing instead of engaging in sideshows.
“We will not allow the opposition to deny Kenyans their right to choose the leader they want,” President Kenyatta said.
Nasa leaders announced Monday afternoon that they would picket every Tuesday to force out top IEBC officials they claimed helped rig the August 8 elections.
Similar protests have in the past turned deadly following confrontations with the police.
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