NRM leader Raila Odinga. [Photo/ nation.co.ke]

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NASA leader Raila Odinga has conceded losing the presidency to Uhuru Kenyatta, political scientist Mutahi Ngunyi says. The analyst argues that Raila, now the leader of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), made a huge mistake in abandoning the October 26 fresh presidential election, leaving president Kenyatta with six other candidates to beat. “I want to confirm to the country that Raila has conceded defeat,” Prof Ngunyi says in his weekly analysis on political events in the country. “He has fallen on his sword. It is over for him,” he says. He opines that history will record that Raila got 0.9% of the votes cast in the presidential election, with a footnote explaining that the embarrassing figure was because of pulling out of the race. “The main text (of history) shall say that Raila got a shameful 0.9% of the vote in his 5th attempt at his presidency. And then there will be a footnote, which shall say that by the way Raila got 0.9% of the vote because he boycotted the election. The boycott will be a footnote, the main text will be that he failed,” he says in the show, which also airs on K24TV. The analyst, who has correctly predicted the outcome of the last three presidential elections, says that historically, pulling out of an election is not a smart idea. It is all about the ego of the candidate.“That is why history has nothing but contempt for those who boycott elections.”On economic sabotage, which Raila has called for using his NRM, Ngunyi says NASA supporters will not abandon Mpesa for the ODM boss’ ego. Economists estimate that Kenya has been losing Sh1 billion every hour since Raila started trying to create a stalemate around the polls.“That is another ego trip for Raila. And it will also fail. His followers will not abandon Mpesa for his ego. Similarly, the country will not pay Sh1 billion every hour to service his ego,” he says. Independent analysts have said that it is the common Kenyan who will suffer in case the stalemate, which is costing the economy Sh24 billion daily, continues.