GOVERNOR NANOK EXPLAINS WHY RUTO MIGHT LOSE 2022 GENERAL ELECTIONS

Turkana Governor Josephat Nanok, the presidential campaign secretariat head for Deputy President William Ruto, has now stated that the Kenya Kwanza Alliance is concerned about the electoral process ahead of the August polls.

One of Kenya Kwanza’s main “concerns,” according to the governor, is the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s (IEBC) readiness to conduct the country’s upcoming polls, as well as the role law enforcement agencies will play in ensuring the exercise’s security.

“I think you know very well that the Interior CS and his PS have been on record and openly canvassing votes for their Azimio candidate but at the same time, they are saying that they will help IEBC have a fair and free election,” Nanok said during an interview on the NewsNight show.

“Those are two contradictory statements so which one do you trust? , the one that has taken a partial stand for one candidate or the one that is speaking about free and fair elections?”

With President Uhuru Kenyatta appointing four of the seven IEBC commissioners in September 2021 and the electoral body only recently appointing CEO Hussein Marjan, Nanok also cited timeliness as a concern for Kenya Kwanza in terms of the national government’s support for the electoral body.

“It has taken almost four years to appoint a CEO, there being an acting one and the bigger concern is do they bring in a new person or do they have an opportunity in that office because it is critical to have senior officers who understand the job and can be able to take us through a transition,” he said.

He also stated that the timing of the introduction of the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill so close to an election has raised eyebrows in Kenya Kwanza. Nanok then cited the Kriegler report, an international commission of inquiry established to investigate the aftermath of the 2007 presidential elections, as evidence of the negative consequences of making significant changes to the Elections Act just months before an election.

“There have also been concerns about changing the rules of the game at the 11th hour you know very well the 2007 election was contested because of changes to the rule of the game in the last minute,” Nanok told show host Waihiga Mwaura.

Nanok likewise defended DP Ruto for alleging that the presidential elections might be rigged during his recent tour of the U.S. According to Nanok, the DP has not shied away from doing so locally noting that the DP was only reaching out to the international community to help him ensure that they remain free and fair.

“He has done so in Kenya before but we went to articulate our position and that is why we spoke about it. The stability of Kenya is critical to Kenyans and the entire international community to work with Kenya so we can have free and fair elections.”

Courtesy