United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has taken action against Cabinet Secretaries campaigning for Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga.
On Saturday, October 30, the party through its leadership wrote to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission chairman Wafula Chebukati, demanding that he warns CSs from campaigning for presidential aspirants.
The letter authored by UDA secretary General, Veronica Maina, indicated that the Supreme Court, in the 2017 presidential election petition, held that elections are not an event, but a process beginning with the preparation to the declaration of results and CSs should not be part of that process.
Maina stated that when CSs openly declare their support for Mr Odinga, it is interference with the electoral process and called for the resignation of Interior and Coordination of National Government Cabinet Secretary, Fred Matiang’i and ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru.
UDA secretary General Veronica Maina
“The stand of the two CSs has compromised the offices they hold and they should resign and engage in a full-time election campaign,” the letter read in part.
Further, Ms Maina complained that the two CSs have been included in a multi-agency team planning for a free, fair and transparent General Election, yet the Constitution only allows the IEBC to oversee and conduct elections. She accused the two CSs of being intruders.
“IEBC is an Independent Commission which, pursuant to Article 249 of the Constitution, should not be subject to direction or control by any person. In this regard, is it the CS Interior who should tell IEBC what it needs as security support for the electoral process or it is IEBC that should define the level of support it requires to conduct the elections?” Maina posed.
“How are the other candidates and Kenyans supposed to have faith in a constitutional commission that is being run by the two partisan CSs? On this one, IEBC is playing on dangerous grounds and it must stop forthwith,” she added.
UDA also questioned if the IEBC will hold credible elections after the two Cabinet Secretaries publicly declared support for Raila Odinga. “To what extent are Kenyans guaranteed that elections next August shall be free and fair?” the party asked.
Maina also called out the IEBC for holding election preparedness consultative meetings with the two CSs with the aim of achieving a free, fair and transparent election yet the two were not mandated to conduct elections in the country.
This comes after CS Matiang’i who spoke at Mwongori High School during a fundraiser, stated that he had received reports which showed that Raila will form the government after the August 9, 2022 elections.
Matiang’i stated that after looking at the reports, it was clear that a majority of Kenyans supported the March 9, 2018 handshake between Raila and President Uhuru Kenyatta and they will elect the ODM leader in 2022.
He sought permission from his community to support Raila arguing that Uhuru was working closely with the ODM leader and he believes Odinga will form government in 2022.
UDA’s Secretary General Veronica Maina speaking during a past conference in Nairobi in 2020.
NMG
Source: https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/70007-uda-goes-after-css-campaigning-raila