Swearing-in charade threatens Kenya?s stability

As Jubilee, we are not fully aware of what the NASA leaders intend to do. If it is a meeting they want to have, they can go on so long as they follow the right procedure. The matter of swearing-in the President of the Republic of Kenya was concluded on November 28 2017. It was in accordance with the Constitution and the law on transition.

Therefore, NASA should explain what they want to do because that chapter cannot be reopened until 2022. We have a President in office who was duly sworn in.

Swearing-in is not a matter of conjecture. The Constitution is very clear on how one becomes the President or Deputy President of the Republic, who announces the victory when they win – which is the IEBC – and who can swear them in – the Registrar of the Supreme Court in the presence of the Chief Justice. The enabling provisions of the law also provide for the swearing-in venue, the day and time, which must all be gazetted.

Politically, NASA are joking around with the swearing-in process for political reasons and it is a very unfortunate development. We have never sunk this low as a country in terms of opposition politics. I believe NASA will abandon that process because continuing is likely to bring disorder, violence, loss of lives and destruction of property, as we have seen in the past. It will be very unfortunate for NASA to proceed with a process that is not only unlawful but also a threat to the country's stability.

Since this is a highly polarizing matter, religious leaders at the national level, including the Catholics, the NCCK, the evangelicals and the Muslims should not fear the opposition but intervene by talking and persuading them to abandon the route to violence. In the event they feel that there are any grievances the government should address, the President has made it clear that such grievances should be channeled in a proper way.

They will be addressed so that we make our country better. Nobody is saying that Kenya is perfect. We have outstanding that can and should be addressed.

You cannot say that you are swearing-in yourself as a president and think that the challenges the country is facing will just evaporate into thin air.

This end-month plan amounts to nothing but an unnecessary circus.

The writer is the Senate Deputy Speaker and Tharaka Nithi Senator

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