CS Joe Mucheru endorsement of Raila concerns us, Ruto team says

DP William Ruto’s presidential campaign team has castigated ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru’s endorsement of Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya presidential candidate Raila Odinga.

In a statement by Director General of the campaign Governor Josphat Nanok, the team says it has noted a tendency by senior government officials purporting to assume the roles and positions intended to influence the outcome of the August 2022 general election.

The statement indicting ICT CS Joe Mucheru.

“We also call out the same cabinet secretary and his colleagues for their open, flagrant and shameless association and promotion of one political coalition and its presidential candidate.

Of particular concern is the emergence of an outrageous video clip of ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru pledging his allegiance, committing public resources and institutions and declaring state support for the Azimo la Umoja,” said Nanok.

The CS was speaking in Nairobi where Raila Odinga met with leaders from Nyeri County on Wednesday. The leaders are expected to put up serious campaign in a bid to counter DP Ruto’s popularity in the Mt. Kenya region.

CS Mucheru and Health CS Mutahi Kagwe were in attendance in that meeting.

“Some of us are there to ensure we have free fair elections making sure systems and everything are working and obviously we are working closely with Baba to ensure that this is the case and we’ve been looking and seeing the information we are on the right track we are on the right path

Baba tuko pamoja (Baba we are together) and we are following you, you have given us assignment, hiyo yote tunafanya (we are doing all that) and even if it is not visible to all of you si mnajua… (you all know) we are not sleeping,” said Mucheru

Ruto’s team has further questioned the legal framework that mandates a presidential candidate to assign, direct, supervise and receive reports on election manipulation from Cabinet Secretaries.

“We wish to point out that although it is not isolates, Mucheru’s brazen statement highlights an unfortunate trend by cabinet secretaries to pursue impunity, circumvent the rule of law, corrupt public institutions, facilitate the commission of criminal offenses and subvert out democracy,” said Nanok.

According to the secretariat, Mucheru’s comments contradict the role of the Ministry of ICT in supervising and overseeing the Communications Authority of Kenya, which provides the technological framework for IEBC to conduct digital registration, digital tallying and relaying of results electronically. This they say, affects the verifiability, transparency, accountability of elections as per the Constitution.

They are now calling on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to pledge fair elections.

“It is the mandate of the IEBC to ensure a free, fair, democratic and credible election at every level and in all parts of the country.

The commission must therefore take decisive action against those who commit election offenses,” said Nanok.