Bill on polls date change gets nod

Justice and Legal Affairs committee chairperson Samuel Chepkonga at County Hall on July 3, 2014. County governments will soon have a say in domestic violence cases if a proposed law sails through Parliament. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA | FILE

What you need to know:

  • At a meeting Thursday morning, the committee changed the proposed General Election day from the third Monday in December to the second Monday.
  • With a December polls date, the MPs said, the budget for the General Election would have been decided on and approved in June, way before the actual date.

Parliament’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee has approved for publication a Bill seeking to change the Constitution and shift general elections from August to December.

But another Bill by Joe Mutambu (Mwingi Central, Wiper) seeking to reduce counties and scrap the 47 Woman Representative seats and nominated Senators was not as lucky as it was rejected.

Woman Representative Christine Ombaka (Siaya, ODM) and Florence Kajuju (Meru, TNA) were foremost in opposing it on grounds that it would “roll back the gains made in affirmative action.”

At a meeting Thursday morning, the committee changed the proposed General Election day from the third Monday in December to the second Monday.

MEMBERS APPROVED

The Bill was drafted and sponsored by Ugenya MP David Ochieng.

The meeting chaired by Ainabkoi MP Samuel Chepkonga was scrutinising it ahead of its publication as required by House.

“I was happy because only the date has been moved to the second Monday of December instead of the Third. Members have approved the immediate publication of the Bill,” said Mr Ochieng after the meeting.

“It will probably be read the first time after we come from recess and then after that there must be public participation for a 90-day period,” said Mr Ochieng.

Agostino Neto, the MP for Ndhiwa, told the Nation: “Since the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee has agreed on it, it’s as good as gone.”

The National Assembly is scheduled to take a break beginning next week.

Members of the committee concurred that an election in August would likely result in a situation where a presidential run-off would be held when schools are still in session.

An August General Election would also be affected by the budgeting cycle because MPs would be busy campaigning in May and June, the period during which the Budget is scrutinised.

CHANGE OF DATE

With a December polls date, the MPs said, the budget for the General Election would have been decided on and approved in June, way before the actual date.

“Elections are about funding and we would need to have factored in the money before we go,” said John Waiganjo (Oljororok, TNA).

“In all possibilities, a change of date would be good for the country,” he added.

The committee also agreed with the proposal for the simple reason that since 1992, the General Election has been held in December, with the exception of the last one, held in March 2013.