President Uhuru Kenyatta has dimmed any hopes of having dialogue with the opposition over electoral reforms.
Uhuru said that Cord leaders should follow the law if they genuinely wanted to reform the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) during his tour of Mandera County.
“I swore an oath to defend the constitution and will not break the law nor allow others to do so. We cannot agree to do that which is against the law and our constitution just to please a few individuals,” said Uhuru.
According to the Daily Nation, Uhuru said the constitution clearly sets out procedures to be followed if one wanted to remove IEBC commissioners from office. He added that the anti-IEBC demonstrations would not help Cord in any way.
On Tuesday, May 17, the opposition leaders declined church leaders’ proposal to suspend the anti-IEBC demonstrations and seek an alternative means to air their grievances. The clerics offered to be mediators but the leaders maintained that the protests would continue until Jubilee makes a public commitment to hold dialogue.
Cord leader Raila Odinga said that the anti-IEBC demonstrations would not stop unless the current commissioners leave office. He has been urging his supporters not to stop the anti-IEBC demonstrations despite the excessive force used against them by police.
On the legality of the anti-IEBC demonstrations, Raila maintained that the coalition was within the law to hold such protests.
He dismissed claims that the anti-IEBC demonstrations were illegal and urged Cord supporters not to fall for the propaganda. The former prime minister further trashed the argument that IEBC commissioners could only be sent home through parliament.
Raila said Kenyans had the options of either handling the matter through their elected representatives in parliament or directly demanding for the removal of the IEBC commissioners. And they had chosen the latter.