President Uhuru Kenyatta says he’s ready for talks with the opposition over reforms in the IEBC but only within the provisions of the law.
He told business leaders that he is also ready to give his personal presentation on the Independent Electrical and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) . “I have prepared my own position which I am ready to present to them,” Mr Kenyatta said in a round-table meeting with members of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA).
He added that he was not ready for any embarrassment that would arise if he were to ask the commissioners of the IEBC to leave office, then the directive is challenged in court. “I am not going to ask anyone to leave office then I am embarrassed tomorrow,” said the President.
Mr Kenyatta it is his responsibility and duty to accommodate all his values. KEPSA members had in an earlier closed-door meeting asked him to open up to the opposition’s demand for dialogue on the removal of the IEBC commissioners.
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Ambassador Dennis Awori, who is also the chairman of KEPSA, had expressed fears of the private sector relating to the disruptions caused by the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) Monday demonstrations for the removal of the IEBC commissioners. “I am requesting you Mr President to give dialogue a chance,” said Mr Awori.
For the past three Mondays, CORD has staged demonstrations against the polls body demanding the removal of the commissioners whom they accuse of being close to the Jubilee coalition, and have demanded their exit from office before the next General Election in August 2017.
Last Monday’s protests in some parts of the country turned tragic when police killed three protesters in Siaya and Kisumu counties, prompting widespread condemnation from the international community, the church and the opposition.
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On Wednesday, CORD suspended the demonstrations for a week to mourn the deaths of their supporters and also give an opportunity for dialogue in what would be seen as bulging to pressure from the church and the foreign envoys. Mr Awori told the President that the demos were not only hurting the private sector but also tainting the image of the country, specifically frustrating the prospects of recovery in the tourism sector.
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