IEBC used Makueni to save face after ‘flawed’ March 4 election, says Cord

Cord leaders led by former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka (centre), Siaya Senator James Orengo (left) and nominated Senator Janet Ongera (right) during a news briefing July 9, 2013. The Coalition for Reform and Democracy has described the electoral commission’s performance in the Makueni by-election as a weak attempt to redeem its image.PHOTO/FILE 

By SUNDAY NATION TEAM newsdesk@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Saturday, July 27   2013 at  19:03

The Coalition for Reform and Democracy has described the electoral commission’s performance in the Makueni by-election as a weak attempt to redeem its image.

Speaking to the media in Nairobi Saturday, Wiper Democratic Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka said the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had used the by-election to save face as “the March General Election was flawed”.

“The electronic transmission mechanism seems to have worked very well in Makueni, and one wonders why it failed in March. Simple, it was crashed deliberately,” he said.

“This is why, as Cord, we continue to abhor what happened during the General Election and what has happened in Makueni is a direct pointer,” he said at the briefing that was also attended by ODM leaders.

“The people have spoken, and if I was in Jubilee, I would reflect on what Kenyans are trying to say,” he said.

Death of his father

Mr Musyoka congratulated Mr Mutula Kilonzo Jnr for his “impressive” victory in securing the Makueni Senate seat that fell vacant following the death of his father Mutula Kilonzo on April 27.

“Junior has probably made history as the senator who only campaigned for three days and got an overwhelming win. I call this a speaking vote,” he said.

The former vice-president attributed Mr Kilonzo Jnr’s win to Jubilee’s efforts to lock out his sister Kethi Kilonzo.

“What they did was to get people angry; 90 per cent of those who turned up voted for Mutula Jnr,” he said.

Mr Musyoka also announced that Wiper planned to take disciplinary action against two party MPs who campaigned for the Jubilee candidate.

Wasting their time

He said that Wiper chairman David Musila has called a meeting of the disciplinary committee of the National Executive Council and the names of the two MPs will soon be made public.

Speaking after the election, Mr Kilonzo Jnr acknowledged it would be difficult to fill his father’s shoes.

He challenged his opponents to help him develop the vast county, saying those who planned to contest his victory in court would be wasting their time. “In fact, it is me who should be complaining.

My picture was pasted on the ballot papers. In Kibwezi, my name was missing on some ballot papers,” he said.

Official figures released by returning officer Salad Boru showed the Wiper candidate scored a resounding victory after receiving 163,232 of the 180,329 votes cast. Makueni County has 298,474 registered voters.

The National Rainbow Coalition’s candidate Prof Philip Kaloki, who had been expected to be Mr Kilonzo Jnr’s toughest rival, was a distant second with 9,762 votes. He was closely followed by Mr Harun Mwau of the People’s Independent Candidates of Kenya who had 6,431.

Mr Urbanus Katumo, an independent, was fourth with 517 votes while Labour Party of Kenya’s Jane Kitundu was fifth with 387 votes.

It was a sweet victory for the first-time politician who beat his rivals even in the areas considered to be their strongholds.

He won with ease in Kibwezi East and West constituencies that were represented in the 10th Parliament by Prof Kaloki.

In Kibwezi East, he received 14,409 votes against Prof Kaloki’s 5,997, while in Kibwezi West, he had 29,908 against the latter’s 1,065 votes.

In Kilome constituency, the Senator-elect won overwhelmingly when he received 19,699 votes against Mr Mwau’s 1,041.

Mr Kilonzo Jnr also won convincingly in Mbooni, the constituency that was represented by his father. He collected 35,650 votes. In Makueni constituency, he got 37,700 votes.

“The people of Makueni have spoken. Of every 10 people that voted, nine voted for me,” Mr Kilonzo Jnr said.

His sister Kethi said the county had demonstrated how focused it is by electing her brother.

Ms Kilonzo said the electorate had twice shown that they have their “hearts, minds and eyes on the future.”

“I sincerely thank the people of Makueni. They have twice this year stood behind and decisively chosen two visionary leaders,” she said.

ODM’s Siaya County Senator, James Orengo also announced that on Tuesday he would hand in his resignation from the Senate Legal Affairs Committee in favour of Mr Kilonzo Jnr.

“I want to keep a promise which I made in Wote that when Mutula Jnr is elected, I would resign from my seat. I will ask the leadership of Cord in the Senate to nominate and appoint him as a member of the committee,” Mr Orengo said, adding that the Senator-elect’s father was a member of the same committee.

Former prime minister and Cord leader Raila Odinga, who is in the US, hailed Makueni residents for their overwhelming support for Mr Kilonzo Jnr.

Mr Odinga also congratulated the Wiper Democratic Party and Cord leaders for ensuring the coalition retained the seat.

The former PM thanked Ms Kilonzo for her fight for the seat, saying it inspired Makueni residents to come out in their thousands to vote.

“I have just received good news that the Makueni people have elected Cord’s Mutula Junior. I am very happy that the people of Makueni have confirmed to the doubting Thomases that they are still ardent supporters and members of Cord as the majority of Kenyans are,” he said.

“I congratulate Junior. I congratulate the Wiper Democratic Party and the Cord fraternity for refusing to budge. This victory shows our future lies in standing together, especially in times of trial, and Makueni was a big trial on our resolve and unity,” Mr Odinga said.

The former PM said despite the controversy surrounding Ms Kilonzo’s bid for the seat, the young lawyer remained a critical member of the coalition and he urged her to stay focused and support her brother and the party.

He said Cord believed Jubilee would never forgive her but the coalition would stand by her and the family.

Mr Odinga said Cord is determined to lift the youth to key leadership positions.

Reported by Lillian Onyango, Dave Opiyo and Linda Anemba