Mudavadi accuses Uhuru of absconding duty

Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi has urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to lead talks to end the looming electoral crisis.

Mr Mudavadi accused the President of “hiding behind the Constitution” by saying there is nothing he can do.

Speaking on a talk show on NTV on Thursday night, Mr Mudavadi said the President is absconding his duty of guiding the country out of the crisis on the electoral commission.

Mr Mudavadi said the Jubilee administration was duty-bound to mediate.

“It is unfortunate for the President to say he can do nothing. Nobody is asking him to order anyone around or usurp any powers. That is dereliction of duty. He needs to take this matter seriously otherwise it will end in turbulence,” he said

He described as “petty” the position President Kenyatta has taken. “All their pronouncements are tinted in mockery and taunts about following the law yet they know they control the levers of power to initiate reforms through their majority in Parliament”, he said.

Cord has held three demonstrations in the last four weeks seeking to eject Electoral and Boundaries Commission commissioners on the grounds they are too tainted to supervise the next elections.

President Kenyatta who spoke in Mandera on Thursday insisted the law must be followed.

“We must respect the Constitution. I have no enmity with the opposition but the law is clear as it binds us together as Kenyans. I can’t talk over what I can’t give unlike former president Moi who had powers to make constitutional changes,” he said.

“I am looking for votes from the voters, not IEBC. Let us stop demonstrations because they are not helping us.”

He said the protests by the Opposition are futile and insisted the law must be followed.

He said the Constitution is clear on procedures to be followed to disband the electoral commission. He invited the opposition for dialogue through Members of Parliament.