A bill to ensure passage of regulations to oversee smooth handing over of presidential powers is in pipeline.
This was revealed by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi during the burial of former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Chair Wafula Chebukati at Sabata in Trans Nzoia County.
Mudavadi explained that the passage of the bill was a well-thought-out idea that would help prevent similar scenes like those that happened during the 2022 general election from reoccurring, where he noted the nation was almost thrown into chaos.
The Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula who was present called for a change of culture among Kenyans to erase the mentality where those who lose elections point fingers at the referee.
“It’s high time we need a paradigm shift in our politics where elections losers blame the referee while those on the winning end up praising the same person,” he said.
The sentiments were made after the family of the late Chebukati led by his wife Mary narrated the tribulations and abuse the family received from a section of Kenyans dissatisfied with how the late chair handled the 2022 presidential results.
The family revealed the trauma they were taken through by social media users even after the death of their loved one.
“Social media has done a great disservice to my family. I cannot remember the number of times my late husband was killed by the same social media before his final day. Now that he has finally rested, we pray and hope social media will leave my family alone,” she pleaded.
Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya who sympathised with the family said it’s wrong to rejoice because a family somewhere has lost a loved one who in many aspects was depended on.
“Our culture as a people does not allow us to rejoice when others are mourning. It is very wrong,” he said.
However, he urged Kenyans and politicians to interrogate where we go wrong in an election cycle in a bid to prevent a scenario of events repeating after each and every election.
“It happened with the former chairman Samuel Kivuitu where together with his family, they were subjected to all manner of insults after an election.
The same thing has happened with Chebukati’s family. There’s need to draw lessons from the past. Please let’s interrogate ourselves to prevent this from happening in future,” he implored.
By Isaiah Nayika
