Leaders caution Kenyans against voting ‘six-piece’
Leaders under the auspices of Mount Kenya Forum yesterday warned Kenyans against voting six-piece in next year’s polls terming the move as undemocratic.
The leaders cautioned the electorate to look at a candidate’s ability, capability and policies and not fall for ‘six-piece suit’ as witnessed in the previous two consecutive elections.
Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua, Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria and Former Parliamentarians Association (FOPA) chairman Dr Humphrey Njuguna said the move to have voters elect ‘six -piece’ has contributed to having some bad leadership elements to various positions.
This, even as they launched a voter registration exercise ‘Seven-10 million’ an initiative that seeks to mobilise eligible voters from the Mt Kenya region from the current seven million registered voters to 10 million.
New voters registration
The group seeks to ensure at least three million new voters are captured in the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) voters register.
“We were duped to go for suit in the last elections. We are calling on Kenyans to look for the qualities of a candidate.
Do not wear that suit because in most cases it will not fit. Let us fight to save multi-partyism,” said Karua.
Addressing the press when they paid a courtesy call on Kuria who is hospitalised at the Karen Hospital, Karua urged all leaders to mobilise the eligible voters to register them as voters during this period of the Mass Voter Registration (MVR).
“We specifically call upon all eligible voters even in diaspora. We ask all leaders across the board to make it their duty to mobilise all the eligible voters and ensure that they register as voters,” said Karua.
“In this exercise, the commission targets to register at least six million new voters at the County Assembly ward level and we urge eligible Kenyans who have not registered as voters to turn up in large numbers and register,” said IEBC chair Wafula Chebukati.
At the same time, the leaders called on the Ministry of Interior to facilitate all the eligible voters to have the necessary documents to enable them to enlist as voters and exercise their democratic rights in the next polls.
“It is the duty of all leaders to mobilize right from the polling stations. We note that IEBC has said it will be moving from 19.6 million registered voters to 26 million. And as Mt Kenya leaders, we are saying this is project seven to 10,” said Karua.
She went on: “Let us claim our share from the increased number just like each corner of the country will be claiming their share. This is to encourage every Kenyan everywhere eligible to vote, to register.”
On his part Kuria said Mt Kenya has a sizeable voting bloc of about seven million and their mission is to increase the number to 10 million.
“We are here to look, devise ways in which we can increase the seven million registered voters by adding three million so that we can now have 10 million registered voters,” said Kuria.
The lawmaker who is a close ally of Deputy President William Ruto said they project to have at least 400,000 new voters in Kiambu, Meru (162,00), Tharaka Nithi (50,000), Embu (71,000), Nyandarua (70,000), Nyeri (105,000), Kirinyaga (129,000) and 215,000 in Murang’a.
