Germany has warned Kenya over amending electoral laws with less than 20 days to the repeat election.
In a statement from their embassy in Nairobi, Germany notes that the proposed amendments being fronted by Jubilee Party are ill-timed and not in accordance with international best practices.
The statement also urged the National Super Alliance (NASA) leadership not to make excessive demands of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
It further states that the rhetoric coming from both sides is cause for concern for the German Government.
The statement reads in part: "This dispute is putting the democratic electoral process at risk. The Kenyan economy is already suffering as a consequence of the uncertainty in the country. There is a danger of escalation."
It goes on to add, "This is not the time to make excessive demands of the independent electoral commission or to change electoral laws at short notice."
[caption caption="German Ambassador to Kenya Jutta Frasch"]
[/caption]
A 9-member joint select committee chaired by Baringo North MP William Cheptumo has been conducting public hearings to receive views from the public on the proposed amendments.
NASA-allied lawmakers have dismissed the committee as illegal as it is made up entirely of Jubilee members.
The proposed laws curtail the powers of the IEBC Chair to unilaterally make key decisions, put in place a manual transmission system whose results are final, lessen regulation on security features on forms and prescribes punishment for Presiding and Returning Officers who fail to properly conduct the election.
[caption caption="Fatuma Adan Dullo and William Cheptumo who lead thee Joint Select Committee"]
[/caption]
NASA, on the other hand, is demanding the resignation of IEBC CEO Ezra Chiloba and the blacklisting of Paris-based digital security firm IDEMIA(formerly OT-Morpho) and Dubai-based printing firm Al Ghurair.
