NASA leader Raila Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta. They are the main figures with political influence over the repeat presidential elections.[Photo /Zipo.co.ke]Kenya’s political garment is under test, a day to the scheduled repeat election as President Uhuru Kenyatta and his main challenger Raila Odinga continue to retain their firm stands over the Thursday exercise.
Raila Odinga, the leader of the National Super Alliance (NASA) has reiterated that there won’t be an election come Thursday 26, claiming that the process is largely stage-managed with a pre-determined result.
Odinga argues that the IEBC failed to execute key reforms that would facilitate a free, fair and credible process. He has incessantly called for resignation of several staff members at the poll body’s secretariat who allegedly took part in bungling the August election-which gave incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta victory with a 54 percent majority.
The NASA chief has maintained that the alliance will not participate in the repeat election whose outcome, he believes, has already been decided in favour Jubilee Party’s Uhuru Kenyatta.
“We cannot go to the poll again when things have not been properly rectified. Already the rigging plot is in place. We know that votes have already been printed and have been distributed. We are not fools,” Odinga said in Kiminini, Trans Nzoia on Sunday.
Odinga even alleged that the ballot papers for the re-run poll were printed secretly in Nairobi by a private company and that he has evidence to prove to the country.
His rivals, who are in the sitting government have maintained that Odinga and his NASA bandwagon were not ready for the polls. A range of Jubilee Party leaders have castigated the former prime minister of being dishonest, led by selfish political interests in his No Reform, No Election campaign.
Efforts by the electoral commission to seek harmony between the two sides have been largely fruitless.
On Monday, envoys stated that the current political dilemma was leading the country into a wrong direction. In a statement read by US ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec, the western emissaries regretted the withdrawal of Raila Odinga from the repeat poll.
Godec said Odinga got his way when the Supreme Court of Kenya nullified President Uhuru Kenyatta's win in the August 8 election.
He said; "The Supreme Court discovered a number of irregularities and illegalities in delivering the historic verdict. I think IEBC has met a number of demands to allow NASA participate in the repeat polls. But it's their right to participate or not to, however we call for peaceful boycott on Thursday.”
Envoys warned the country’s political leaders against political intolerance that would lead to violence.
“Kenyans — and particularly Kenya’s politicians — should be careful not to destroy things built over years of hard work and sacrifice. It is easier to tear down than to build up. But it is dangerous, and it must stop,”
The US envoy said only the IEBC can decide whether the Thursday poll will be credible and conducted according to the law as specified by Supreme Court.
The envoys’ stand dominantly agreed that the prevailing conditions are not ideal for holding a credible repeat election on Thursday but insisted that only Kenyan institutions can decide whether to postpone it or not.
The electoral Commission has displayed doubt over the credibility of the repeat poll. A week after the withdrawal of the NASA leader from the presidential race, Commissioner Roselyn Akombe quit office on Wednesday October 18 claiming that the current set up of the poll body could not deliver a free, fair and credible poll.
Akombe sent her resignation letter while in New York regretting that her fellow Commissioners were widely partisan and no decision of goodwill for the country’s electoral system would sail through easily.
In her acquittal statement, Akombe said it had become increasingly difficult to continue discharging her duties at the IEBC without being partisan.
“We need the IEBC to be courageous and speak out, that this election as planned cannot meet the basic expectations of credibility. Not when senior secretariat staff and commissioners are serving partisan political interests”, she said.
A day later IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati stated that he was not in a position to assure the country a credible poll due to the turbulent political waters the country was in.
He called on political players mainly Raila Odinga of NASA and Uhuru Kenyatta of Jubilee Party to allow dialogue over raised concerns ahead of the poll.
This was followed by reports that the embattled IEBC boss Ezra Chiloba was to take a three-week break from duty. Nation reports that Chiloba took a “personal decision to be away in order to build confidence in stakeholders” who had complained about commission officials.
Chiloba will not oversee the Thursday’s repeat presidential election.
The IEBC chair Wafula Chebukati met Raila Odinga on Thursday 19 and later on Monday 23 held a meeting with President Uhuru Kenyatta.
President Kenyatta said they had no bad blood with the electoral commission on its readiness for the Thursday exercise.
“We made it clear that we have no demands or conditions on this subject. We have made funds available for the IEBC to do its job. Now they really should deliver,” he said
But the opposition has called for four day anti-IEBC demonstrations starting Tuesday October, 24. The side maintains that there will be no elections on Thursday.
Embakasi East MP Babu Owino on Monday dismissed advice from foreign envoys saying they were Jubilee party sympathisers.
He said; “We maintain that envoys on Jubilee government's payroll must keep off Kenya's election. We will resume our nationwide anti-IEBC demos tomorrow to agitate for permanent reforms in our electoral system.”
Siaya Senator James Orengo on his part stated that their demonstrations to push for reforms at IEBC would proceed from Tuesday daily until all the necessary changes are realised and free and fair elections held.
“Our constitution grants us the right to protest, and we will continue doing so peacefully despite being met with violence and intimidation each time. As a people, we have overcome such tactics before. We shall overcome again,” Orengo said.
Even as the call for street action emerge again, the government has stated that it would deal with violent characters firmly.
Acting Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi on Monday warned politicians against intimidating the police and the IEBC ahead of the repeat presidential election.
He said; “Some of the politicians cite Article 37 saying the constitution allows you to picket but the same Article says the demonstrators must be peaceful and unarmed. Similarly, today (Monday October 23) is the last day that political parties can campaign anyone who campaigns from tomorrow will be in breach of the law.”