I have no power over IEBC, says Uhuru

President Uhuru Kenyatta speaks to members of the public at Kebirigo, Kisii, where he launched the 14 km mosobeti-Kebirigo road on April 27, 2016. The President said it would be unconstitutional for him to send the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials home. PHOTO | TOM OTIENO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Deputy President William Ruto challenged Cord leaders to cite sections of the Constitution that allow one to remove a public official from office by force.
  • During the visit, the President commissioned Sh800 million state-of-the-art equipment at the Kisii Level Six Hospital and inspected construction at the Kenyenya Technical Training Institute.

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday said he has no powers to sack electoral commissioners as pressure mounted on Cord leaders to go slow on their campaign to kick out the team.

The President said it would be unconstitutional for him to send the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials home and such a decision could be challenged in court.

“I did not put the commissioners in office and I will not be the one to remove them,” said the President in Kisii Town, as he wound up his two-day tour of the larger Gusii region.

“Should I attempt to do so, I will be breaking the law and I will be taken to court.”

He told Cord leader Raila Odinga, who has been spearheading the campaign: “Just do the right thing and come up with a petition giving reasons why the officials should go home. Even if you protest for a year, it will be of no consequence.”

"The IEBC had no say on who Kenya’s leaders would be since this was a preserve of Kenyans," President Kenyatta said.

Deputy President William Ruto challenged Cord leaders to cite sections of the Constitution that allow one to remove a public official from office by force.

“Can they tell us which part of the Constitution allows anyone to remove any public officer, be it an assistant chief or anyone else for that matter, from office by use of force,” he said, and asked the President to jealously guard the Constitution.

Said the DP: “We are not prepared to go through mass action and any violence of the kind that we experienced in 2007. Never again should we go through that route. All we want is peace.”

The President said his administration would not allow anyone to divide Kenyans on tribal lines.

“It is Kenyans who will suffer most if we blindly follow such leaders,” he warned, and pledged to have all the internally displaced people in the region compensated.

“It is alright to have political differences but let them be on ideology, not anything that can breed violence. In Jubilee, our stand is building a united Kenya. This is what we will be striving to achieve…let’s go easy on anything that may divide us.”

INFRASTRUCTURE
The Head of State was also accompanied by Kisii Governor James Ongwae and his deputy, Mr Joash Maangi, as well as Cabinet Secretaries Fred Matiang’i (Education), Cleopa Mailu (Health) and Sicily Kariuki (Youth), several Members of Parliament and other leaders.

He has toured Kisii and Nyamira counties for the past two days.

During the visit, the President commissioned Sh800 million state-of-the-art equipment at the Kisii Level Six Hospital and inspected construction at the Kenyenya Technical Training Institute.

He then launched the construction of the Sh2 billion Mogonga-Kenyenya-Riokindo-Nyabitunwa, Riokindo-Magencha-Eberege-Daraja road and Riokindo-Kenyenya TTC roads, as well as the 50km Marani Road.

The President said other roads would be repaired to open up the region and help improve the region’s economy.

“Farmers will also be able to easily take their produce to the market.”