Leaders unite in opposition to calls to postpone next year’s polls.

By Samuel Ouma

The majority of Kenyan leaders have condemned the calls to postpone 2022 general polls to pave the way for the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) preparation, whose fate still hangs in the court.

The latest to join the bandwagon opposing the postponement of elections are the opposition chief Raila Odinga’s allies.

In an interview with a local daily, the National Assembly Minority Whip Junet Mohamed said the date of the elections should not even be extended by a single day.  Junet maintained that the term limits should be adhered to as stipulated by the Constitution.

“We are strongly opposed to any debate on postponing next year’s election. Not evening for a minute should the General Election be extended,” said Junet.

"We must respect the Constitution even as we pursue to make it better through the BBI. We cannot plan to break the law and extend polls date because we want to change the law," he added.

The Deputy President William Ruto had also opposed calls to postpone elections.

“Impunity has no space in Kenya. We are a government that believes in the rule of law and i know for sure. This administration will not accept to do anything unconstitutional or illegal. I very sure there will be elections next year...and Kenyans will elect new leadership, whoever they may be,” said Ruto during a live TV interview last week.

A section of leaders led by Kenya's Central Organisation for Trade Unions secretary-general Francis Atwoli is pushing the elections to be postponed to enable the country to amend its Constitution.

Mr Atwoli had claimed that BBI would prevent election-related violence saying "no BBI, no elections", a statement that other leaders have condemned.

Article 136 of the Kenyan Constitution states that an election of the president shall be held on the same day as of General elections of lawmakers, on the second Tuesday of August every five years.