PHOTO:

Jubilee Party Secretary General Raphael Tuju during the press conference at the party headquarters on May 16, 2017. Photo/Jack Owuor

By:

Luke Awich

Posted:

Feb,04-2022 11:36:16

President Uhuru Kenyatta's Jubilee Party has distanced itself from the proposed Bill seeking to outlaw live streaming of election results.

The ruling outfit said the Bill is not sanctioned by the government as was being claimed and that they are opposed to any legislation that will make it possible to rig the August 9 General Election.

Jubilee Secretary General Raphael Tuju on Friday clarified that the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2022 is an IEBC sponsored Bill and not a government proposal as was being reported.

“That Bill is brought by IEBC and not Jubilee. We cannot allow any law that can allow rigging of elections in this country,” Tuju said.

“We will not support any Bill that negates the Constitution and the gains that have been made.”

He spoke on a day President Uhuru Kenyatta convened a special meeting with Jubilee MPs at State House, Nairobi.

Tuju said the Friday State House meeting would give direction to the party MPs regarding the Bill.

The controversial Bill was tabled on Wednesday in the House by Majority leader Amos Kimunya.

Tuju spoke during an interview at Inooro FM, a vernacular station broadcasting in the Kikuyu language.

On Thursday, Deputy President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga instructed their troops to shoot down the retrogressive amendments.

The Bill, read for the first time on Wednesday, proposes, among others, the amendment to the election laws to pave way for both manual and electronic transmission of presidential results in the August 9 General Election.

According to the proposal, failure to transmit the results electronically would not be grounds for the Supreme Court to nullify the presidential vote.

The Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2022 also provides a complementary mechanism for voter identification.

This means IEBC officials would be allowed to use manual registers where Kiems kits fail.

Source:

The Star