The Star 03/24/2017

Kenya will have chaotic elections if sporadic conflicts in some cosmopolitan counties are not resolved, IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati has said. He said the root cause of intra- and extra-county conflicts is stiff competition for different positions. In a speech, Chebukati said impunity, legal actions and pressure from citizens and civil society groups on IEBC threaten August polls. His speech was read by Commissioner Margaret Mwachanya during the ongoing Second Annual Legislative Summit in Mombasa. Chebukati said availability of small arms is increasing insecurity. The chairman said Kenya’s military presence in Somalia makes Kenya vulnerable now and during the election period. “The threat by al Shabaab that they will disrupt the elections sends a chilling signal,” he said. The IEBC concerns comes as the military has been sent to the…

MARGARET KENYATTA Commitment to child health The First Lady on Wednesday evening received an award from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in Cape Town, South Africa, in recognition of her commitment to end maternal and child mortality in Kenya and, her efforts to reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission through the Beyond Zero initiative. See page 11 HENRY ROTICH Buy bonds on mobile phone The National Treasury plans to issue a Sh5 billion bond through M-Akiba in June after testing the waters with the Sh150 million pilot sale launched yesterday. The CS says there is a special limited offer with a minimum investment of Sh3,000 and a return of 10 per cent tax-free, payable after six months. It got bids valued at Sh373,600 within 15 minutes. See page 19 BUDGET…

Religious leaders yesterday asked the electoral agency to tell Kenyans the truth about its preparedness to conduct a credible, free and fair election in August. The leaders, under the Multi-Sectoral Forum, said it was contradictory for the IEBC to claim it has sufficient time to conduct the polls and at the same time complain of having lost significant time. Secretary general Canon Peter Karanja said the current court injunctions against the IEBC in relation to preparations for the polls are a clear indication that if measures are not taken, the IEBC might deliver a compromised election. “It will be so unfair for the IEBC to deliver compromised results because it failed to adequately prepare,” he said. Karanja said public confidence in the IEBC, Judiciary and National Police Service is very…

SO who actually appointed Chief Justice David Maraga (pictured) to the high-profile job? This is the question some civil society activists are increasingly heard asking. In Kisii, President Uhuru Kenyatta wooed the Abagusii, saying it was payback time after “giving you” the CJ job. Civil society is wondering why the Judicial Service Commission has not come out to denounce Uhuru’s claim. They say Maraga himself ought to have come out to correct the perception being created by Jubilee that he is a Presidential appointee, if only to safeguard the independence of the Judiciary. SOME Jubilee governors are quietly pushing for direct nominations. We are told some, who have been funding party activities, are asking the party to “pay back “ because they have spent a lot of money and their…

 The technical committee tasked with recommending NASA’s presidential candidate has emphatically said it must be Raila Odinga. THE COMMITTEE WARNED THAT EXCLUDING THE ODM LEADER AND FORMER PRIME MINISTER WOULD OUTRAGE HIS SUPPORTERS AND CONVERT INTACT OPPOSITION BASTIONS INTO BATTLEGROUNDS WITH JUBILEE The committee warned that excluding the ODM leader and former Prime Minister would outrage his supporters and convert intact opposition bastions into fragmented battlegrounds with Jubilee. According to five top academics, Raila remains the most formidable candidate and his stepping aside will not translate into automatic votes for any NASA principal. The confidential recommendation has been presented to the National Coordinating Committee, NASA’s political wing. The NCC will deliberate and make recommendations to the principals — Raila, Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Musalia Mudavadi (ANC) and Moses Wetang’ula (Ford Kenya).…

THE three Principals, Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang’ula, are no different from Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto. These are people who were schooled in Kanu politics. They have the same blood chemistry. There are people who support Raila Odinga all over the country because they believe that the whole management of public affairs needs a 360° overhaul, not a fuata Nyayo proposition. When Jomo Kenyatta died, Moi said “fuata Nyayo”, when Kibaki came to power he said “Kazi iendelee”. At that time, Raila was saying “Kazi ianze”. When Uhuru ascended to power, that same status quo approach to politics applied. Raila shifted his political base to Kibaki in 2002. At that time, Kibaki appeared to represent a 100 per cent shift in the management of issues. But after…