The National Super Alliance (NASA) on Saturday evening announced they will not abandon their plan to adopt a polling station as ordered by acting Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i.
Siaya Senator James Orengo while addressing the media in Kisumu noted that the CS was wrong in issuing the directive and maintained that NASA will continue with its plan as scheduled.
The Senator stated that nothing barred NASA supporters from protecting their votes and added that on August 8th the coalition will have its volunteers and supporters at the 40,883 polling stations countrywide.
“Mr Matiang’i has particularly attacked our plans which we will continue with and ensure other than our polling agents, we will have volunteers and supporters of NASA who are adopting polling stations.
“We want to tell the CS that he should stop issuing directives which he cannot back constitutionally. Police should also desist from being used to harass and intimidate citizens,” the Senator stated.
He further noted that the main duty of the NASA volunteers and supporters would be to safeguard the electoral process by ensuring there is no bribery, no foreign material enters the polling areas.
“We, as key stakeholders, will have people to observe what is happening,” he said stated.
The Senator made the remarks in response to CS Matiang'i directive that NASA's "adopt a polling station" plan was illegal.
Matiang'i clarified that only presiding officers, deputies, polling clerks and accredited party agents will be allowed in polling stations on August 8.
Speaking on Friday when he met security officials, the CS stated that "there is no room anywhere in the law or even in the arrangements that we have for anybody collecting hoodlums in the name of protecting ballot boxes and taking them to polling stations."
"The protection of ballot is our responsibility with the IEBC and we have not asked anyone for help," Matiang'i added.
He confirmed that police would not allow any chaos at polling stations and would throw out anyone who is not listed on a circular issued by Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
"Anyone who is not mentioned in the circular should be removed from the polling stations, by all means, possible," he affirmed.
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