[James Orengo with Raila Odinga in a past rally. Vincent Moracha says Orengo’s advise to Odinga to withdraw from the race was miscalculated. Photo/Nation]
The decision by lawyer James Orengo to advise opposition leader Raila Odinga to withdraw from the race before a major High Court ruling was miscalculated, observes Vincent Moracha.
Prior to his withdrawal, Odinga said he has tasked Orengo to explore options as his team piled pressure in IEBC to initiate radical reforms before repeat poll.
"Orengo and his team are working on very important issues and once they are through, we shall make a major announcement," he said.
But a High Court ruling a day after paved way for inclusion of other candidates who had lost in August race, a move that threw Odinga off balance.
Moracha says Odinga's plan was to evoke Supreme Court ruling of 2013 to call for a fresh election in 90 days after his withdrawal.
"Orengo perhaps thought the court would not allow Ekuru Aukot to run and if it did, he had shown interest of siding with them. They were then to evoke paragraph 290 of Supreme Court ruling of 2013."
Despite the intrigues surrounding Odinga's withdrawal, IEBC proceeded with the elections in which Uhuru Kenyatta was declared winner.
In response, Odinga has dismissed the victory and has instead called for mass actions in which he plans to push for an election in 90 days.