Opposition will take election laws row to court, says Kilonzo

Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. He has said the Opposition will now concentrate on battling the controversial election Bill through courts and other constitutional avenues. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Wiper Democratic Movement vice-chairman Mutula Kilonzo Jr said that contested amendments were a recipe for chaos before and after the General Election slated for August 8, adding that hope lay in reversing the amendments.
  • Mr Kilonzo said that the Opposition was now hoping that the Judiciary will effectively arbitrate on the matter even as they put pressure on the President not to assent to it.

After losing to the ruling Jubilee Party in a duel to amend election laws, an opposition senator on Sunday said they will now concentrate on battling the controversial legislation through courts and other constitutional avenues.

Wiper Democratic Movement vice-chairman Mutula Kilonzo Jr said that the contested amendments were a recipe for chaos before and after the General Election slated for August 8, adding that hope lay in reversing the amendments.

Saying President Uhuru Kenyatta was likely to assent to the Bill, Mr Kilonzo said that the Opposition was now hoping that the Judiciary will effectively arbitrate on the matter even as they put pressure on the President not to assent to it.

Cord senators have accused Jubilee of taking advantage of numbers in Parliament to pass legislations that limit Senate powers.

“The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill that passed without amendments last week will significantly reduce the powers senators,” said Mr Kilonzo.
“We missed the opportunity. This was a special Bill under the Constitution. Amendments to assert our jurisdiction could only have been amended or vetoed by two thirds of the National Assembly.”

“It’s unfortunate that the Senate, a House that prides itself as a place of review and composed of sober and mature leaders voted against itself,”
He said: “I hope the courts will reverse these laws, because if we go to elections with the amendments, the country will experience violence.”

He was speaking at Nduu Primary School in Kilungu sub-county, Makueni County during a prize giving ceremony.

BLINDED BY PARTY INTERESTS

Mr Kilonzo said Jubilee colleagues were blinded by party interests to vote in the amendments.

He was among a special team of lawmakers from Jubilee and the Opposition coalition, Cord, that came up with the elections laws.

Debate on the amended election laws was characterised by squabbling among Members of Parliament from either side of the political divide.
Meanwhile, Mr Kilonzo has reiterated that Wiper Party will hold free and fair by elections.

“Party tickets will go to popular candidates and none will be issued in market places and the streets,” he said.

He was referring to allegations of planned favouritism during the party primaries that were raised by Mr Joshua Kimilu, an aspirant for Kaiti parliamentary seat.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Kimilu expressed concerns that some of his rivals were bragging that they already had the Wiper Party ticket ahead of the primaries.

However, Mr Kilonzo urged all candidates to popularise themselves before the primaries.