Election laws take effect on Friday

Oct. 25, 2017, 1:00 am
By SAMUEL KISIKA @kisikasam

The controversial Jubilee-sponsored election laws will automatically come into operation this Friday with or without President Uhuru Kenyatta signing them.

The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill 2017, criticised both locally and internationally, will come into force this week after attaining the constitutional 14-day application period that does not make it compulsory for the Presidents to sign.

Uhuru received the Bill on October 13 from National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi after being passed and endorsed by the Senate without any changes.

The opposition, political commentators and Kenyans have been wondering why Uhuru was taking so long to assent to the Bill his Jubilee legislators in both Houses hurriedly passed with the objective of sealing loopholes in existing electoral laws ahead of tomorrow’s repeat presidential poll.

The Constitution requires the President to sign the Bill within 14 days then gazette it immediately.

However, the controversial laws come into operation automatically in the event he fails to act on it within the period.

Uhuru has maintained that he is still studying the Bill and that he will act on them at the right time, amid criticism from the opposition and warnings from trade union leaders, clerics and Western envoys.

RWNBP

Raila na Uhuru Kenyatta ni meffi

They have to be signed

wise move