Meru to join other counties in holding anti-IEBC protests

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) members in Meru County are set to join other counties in holding a march against the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Meru County chairman Robert Kathata Ramu said the party will hold its first anti-IEBC rally Monday to force IEBC commissioners to go home.

He claimed that IEBC commissioners cannot be trusted to hold a free and fair election since they are concluding with Jubilee to rig the 2017 General Election in favour of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Speaking on Muuga FM, Kathata said that they had agreed, as ODM delegates, to have the demonstrations from Maua Town to Meru Town push for the removal of IEBC commissioners.

The protests are set to coincide with anti-IEBC marches in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kakamega and Bungoma Counties set for the same day.

Speaking on Sunday, CORD leaders called on their supporters to turn up for the protests in large numbers as they seek to pile pressure on IEBC commissioners to vacate office.

CORD co-principal Moses Wetangula claimed that three Jubilee MPs – Maina Kamanda (Starehe), Moses Kuria (Gatundu South) and Dennis Waweru (Dagoretti South) – had hired goons to disrupt the protest in Nairobi.

Wetangula stated that the MPs had also used the hooligans to hurl stones during the last protest and disrupt their plans to address their supporters.

“We do not condone tribal politics that is currently being perpetuated by the Jubilee MPs who refer to themselves as GEMA leaders. We suspect that the government has a hand in their plans to disrupt our protests,” claimed the Ford-Kenya leader.

The Ford-Kenya leader said they would press charges against the leaders if they turn their protests chaotic, further warning police of using excessive force during the anti-IEBC protests.

Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka called on CORD supporters to carry white handkerchiefs to the protest as a sign of peace.

He called on the police to refrain from provoking their supporters saying they should instead reign on hooligans who would want to disrupt the march.

CORD had initially stated that they would be willing to dialogue with Jubilee on ways of reforming IEBC in readiness for the next elections but abandoned the call after the government insisted that any talks should be done in Parliament.

Monday’s protests will be CORD’s forth in a month as they seek to force IEBC commissioner out of office over allegations of corruption and apparent collusion to rig the next elections, allegations that the electoral agency has vehemently denied.

In a statement, IEBC chair Issack Hassan has said that they would readily vacate office if CORD proves their allegations against them.

@benjaminwafula