Reject law changes, Kibaki urged

Pressure continued to mount on President Kibaki to reject controversial amendments to the Elections Act and the Political Parties Act passed by MPs last week.

The head of the Catholic Church in Kenya, a Cabinet minister and a professional body warned MPs against making laws that divide the country as it moves towards the General Election.

John Cardinal Njue instead asked MPs to put the interests of the country ahead of their own when making laws. (READ: Fury as ‘selfish’ MPs chop up Constitution)

Cardinal Njue reminded MPs that the electorate is watching their actions carefully at a critical time in the history of the country.

Speaking separately, Roads Minister Franklin Bett criticised the amendment requiring all those seeking various elective positions in the next elections to have university degrees saying it was tailored to lock out some popular candidates.

The Bureti MP claimed that a politician from Central province had sneaked in the amendment to block former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga from vying.

Speaking in Nyakach, Kisumu County, Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo also took issue with Parliament for pushing the amendments down the “throat of Kenyans” without following the due process.

“Parliament has powers to legislate Bills and motions that come before it, but it has to follow the law which demands that AG’s office must liaise with Commission on Implementation of Constitution,” he said.

Mr Midiwo said Prime Minister Raila Odinga wrote to Attorney-General Githu Muigai and Speaker Kenneth Marende asking that the laid down procedure be followed when transacting amendments which were passed last Thursday.

He said that the premier had not received a response by the time the amendments were ratified.

The ODM whip beseeched President Kibaki not to append his signature on the Bill that allows party hoppers to retain their seats in Parliament warning that he will be putting his legacy on the line as the Head of State who presided over the mutilation of the important document.

The Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (Icpak) also warned that it plans to start vetting those aspiring to join politics to ensure that only persons of integrity are elected to represent Kenyans at various levels.

Icpak is the latest body to join a growing list of Kenyans demanding that President Kibaki refuses to assent to several controversial amendments passed by MPs last week.

Over 80 MPs plan to secure a meeting with the President to prevail upon him not to assent to the amendments.

Reported by Peter Leftie, Aggrey Mutambo, Charles Mwaniki, Geoffrey Rono , Otieno Owida and Justus Wanga.