Raila rejects bid to change poll date

ODM leader Raila Odinga has maintained he would not support the Bill that seeks to move the elections date from August to December.

According to Mr Odinga, the second Tuesday of August was settled on and protected in the Constitution to avoid a previous situation when the election date was used as a “secret weapon” by the incumbent against the opposition.

“Kenyans made a constitution with a context where the date of the election was dependent on the President and some would argue that it was used as a secret weapon (where) the date of the elections becomes part of the confusion of the badly mixed system of governance fusing the presidential and parliamentary system of government,” he said in an interview.

He said the second Tuesday of August was picked because “Kenyans wanted a day that will be conducive to holding elections without disrupting their lives too much”.

Mr Odinga said, based on the views of Kenyans, the rainy seasons of March-April and November-December were the first to be ruled us as election dates to avoid interference with the planting seasons.

“The rainy season not only disenfranchised citizens, particularly in remote and difficult areas to reach, but many a time was used in rigging elections,” he said.

The former Prime Minister added that Kenyans also rejected the months of major holidays —  April catering for Easter holidays and December for Christmas.

“This fact had the effect of undermining the democratic process by making Kenyans register and elect leaders in places where they don’t qualify (by residency) and will not have connections with their elected leaders,” he said.

Further, he said, if elections are delayed or a run-off is required, the chances of disenfranchising those voters would be high.  “December was further ruled out because it had the potential of pushing the electoral process into a new calendar year in case of a presidential run-off and/or successful petition,” Mr Odinga said.

Separately, Kericho Senator Charles Keter has dismissed the Bill seeking to move elections to December, saying it is a sign that the Jubilee opponents are scared of defeat in 2017.

Mr Keter said a change in the date of the elections is inconsequential on the outcome and called on leaders to settle for the date set by law.

He was speaking on Saturday at the Kenya Highlands Evangelical University in Ainamoi during a funds drive in aid of the establishment of an Endowment Fund to help the institution attract more tutors.

“I heard my colleagues (MPs) making noise in Parliament over this issue last week. However, it doesn’t matter whether the elections are held in August or December, we are not scared. We are ready for any day even if elections are held next year because God is with us,” he said.

MPs across the political divide have united in the push for the extension of their term by four months in 2017.

The Bill drafted by Ugenya MP David Ochieng proposes that the date of the next election be moved from the second Tuesday of August to the third Monday of December.

Mr Ochieng argues that moving the polls to December will ensure national examinations are not interrupted.