Former governor Rutto backs push to amend elections laws, lists conditions

Chama cha mashinani (CCM) party leader Isaac Rutto supports the move to amend the electoral laws to allow manual transmission of election results.

Rutto pointed out that if the move was aimed at ‘curing’ past faults that have been characterized by the transmission of results electronically, then it was a good idea and which all leaders and Kenyans at large must also support.

Rutto was addressing the press after a meeting that brought together aspirants from the party and the office of the registrar of political parties at a Bomet hotel.

The former Bomet governor cited the 2017 general election which he said was marred by irregularities as a result of live streaming by some media houses.

Rutto stated that as a party, they have not discussed the matter but he was only expressing his concern about how the forthcoming general election will be conducted.

“We have not discussed this as a party but if we want to change the election laws then we have no problem about it. We are opposed to this mode where results are only transmitted through the servers which they are even yet to open…maybe if we had hard copies it would have been helpful to us,” he argued.

Rutto faulted some media houses for going against the normal procedures which had been adopted by transmitting live results, something he said caused problems.

“In Bomet for example, a particular TV station erred by announcing the gubernatorial results early as 6:30 pm even when it had not been declared by the electoral body,” said Rutto.

Rutto at the same time stated that as CCM, they are ready to sign a coalition agreement with Deputy President William Ruto’s united democratic alliance (UDA) party in the run-up to the August poll.

The former Bomet governor, however, noted they will do it without any condition.

“We do not have any preconditions that a party must fulfil to us so that we can enter into an agreement with it, what we have only agreed as CCM is to support UDA’s presidential candidate which is William Ruto,” he stated.

Rutto further sought to assure the aspirants in the party that the nomination exercise will be free and fair adding they are yet to set dates for conducting it.

On his part, the party’s secretary-general Albert Kochei said they are ready to conduct the nomination urging Kenyans to continue registering as members.