Kalonzo vows to stop polls in court over the decision

A cloud was last evening hanging over the Makueni by-election after Cord leaders vowed to seek court orders to block the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission from going ahead with the poll.

Wiper Democratic Movement leaders Kalonzo Musyoka, David Musila and Johnstone Muthama described the revocation of Kethi Kilonzo’s registration as a suppression of democracy and said they will seek to stop the by-election by all means.

Mr Musyoka, the former Vice President, said: “You cannot stifle or suppress the democratic will of the people. We are going to court to stop this election. We have to stop this election.”

He expressed hope that the courts will listen to the two sides and come up with a just judgment. “I hope there will be justice for once in the courts,” Mr Musyoka told the Nation.

He teamed up with Mr Musila, the Wiper chairman, in accusing the IEBC of judging its own acts of commission and omission, arguing that a different body should have been called to give a verdict.

“I condemn the judgment of this quasi-judicial organ. This country is in danger of moving back to the days of selective justice and that is why we want this by-election cancelled.”

Mr Musila charged that the entire saga involved the IEBC, which gives them the chance to move to the High Court to annul the injustice that was visited on their party.

“Another court should have sat in judgment and not the IEBC tribunal,” he said.

Mr Musyoka and Mr Musila claimed the IEBC tribunal was dancing to the tune of the commission and demanded that the team be disbanded to pave way for an independent team to run the by-election and the 2017 elections.

The slaughterhouse

“Jubilee wanted Kethi to be their candidate and if she had accepted, we would not be where we are today. Kaloki was just a smokescreen, leading Kethi to the slaughterhouse,” he said.

But Senator Muthama said that even if their desire to block the Makueni mini-poll failed, the Cord family would block any candidate linked with to Jubilee alliance and mobilise voters to stop what he called “government projects” from taking over Makueni.

“Let it be clear that Cord will not support any Jubilee affiliated candidate in Makueni at all,” he said.