Wednesday January 4, 2017
Garissa Town MP Aden Duale speaks at the Garissa cultural centre on August 1 last year /STEPHEN ASTARIKO
National Assembly Majority leader Aden Duale has urged the IEBC to use its powers to block politicians, who perpetrate violence from vying in the general election.
Speaking to the press in Garissa town on Tuesday, Duale said the country cannot afford to slip into violence as it did in 2007-08.
“We will ask the IEBC to use the powers it has to ensure any politician involved in violence is not be allowed to vie. The culture of violence during polls must be stopped,” Duale said.
Duale supported Interior CS Joseph Nkaisery who has warned he will arrest and prosecute those who propagate hatred and create animosity among Kenyans.
“We expect the NCIC, the DPP, the DCI, the EACC and all the other security agencies to ensure Kenyans participate in a free, fair and peaceful election,” Duale said.
He further said the National Assembly will convene a special sitting on January 18 for Speaker Justin Muturi to read to the House the President’s message on the nomination of the new IEBC team.
Duale said upon the speaker receiving the list of the nominees, he will send it to the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee, which will give way for vetting and later tabling the report for either approval or rejection.
“We expect the speaker to communicate this information to the committee any day this week and if all goes well, we will recall the House for a one-day special sitting,” Duale said.
The Majority leader said the appointment of IEBC chairperson nominee Wafula Chebukati and CEO Ezra Chiloba are not related in any way.
He said there was nowhere in the law or in the IEBC Act where it provides that both the IEBC chairperson and the CEO should not come from the same community or region.