ODM leader Raila Odinga. [Photo/ Niaje]
The career of NASA coalition boss Raila Odinga came to an end when he decided to withdraw from the presidential race, political scientist Mutahi Ngunyi has said.Raila abandoned the elections, with just over two weeks remaining to the polls date, citing non-compliance on the part of IEBC on his list of 'irreducible minimums'. IEBC says the elections will go on as planned, with all the candidates who took part in August general election — except Cyrus Jirongo — allowed to contest. Mr Ngunyi, who has correctly predicted the outcome of past presidential elections, questions Raila’s motive in wanting to remove IEBC before the elections when he has already stepped out. “If he has withdrawn from the race, why does he want IEBC reformed before the elections?” the political scientist poses.“If he is not a candidate, why is he staging daily riots to reform an IEBC whose election he is not even going to be a part of?” Ngunyi asks, adding that Raila’s actions are meant to provoke people to go into a civil war. Another analyst opines that NASA demonstrations against the IEBC are drums of war being played ahead of the October 26 elections. Mr Ngunyi’s thinker says the violent protests are not inspired by democracy and are ‘meant to normalise death and disorder in the name of democracy’.“So far, 40 people have died for no reason since the August 8 riots,” says law student Mare X, who is part of The 5th Estate, associated with leading political thinker Ngunyi. “If we accept this disorder on Monday, Tuesday until Friday, we will accept the horse of civil wars running for years on end. And this is what the demos are meant to achieve: they are conditioning our minds to achieve violence as a way of life,” she argues. The analysts conclude that the only thing that will stop the election from being held on October 26 is the death of a presidential candidate or his running mate.