Uhuru assures supporters he will vie for presidency

By MOSES NJAGIH

Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta has dismissed claims he will not vie for presidency next year.

Uhuru, who was campaigning in Kajiado North Constituency, said some people are spreading the falsehoods, but they will be shocked.

“I am in the race and I want to remind those spreading the falsehoods that I have a mouth to speak for myself. I went to The Hague and defended myself. I do not need anyone to talk on my behalf,” said Uhuru.

The DPM also told those waiting to capitalise on his International Criminal Court (ICC) trial to look elsewhere since The Hague proceedings will not stop him from contesting the presidency.

“Voters are not clothes to be passed from one person to another. It is Kenyans who will make their choice on who they want to be their leaders,” said Uhuru at a rally in Ngong.

Uhuru noted that ICC cannot deny him a chance to contest in polls. “The only voice I will listen to is that of Kenyans. If people deny us the chance to be leaders, I will have no option but to go home. Those who think we will be jailed so that they can win it easily will be in for a shock,” he said.

Uhuru claimed there were plans to deny some youths ID cards to ensure that they do not participate in next elections.

Uhuru, who was accompanied by Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa and five MPs said Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had no option but conduct voter registration electronically.

He said Kenyans were not ready for a debacle similar to the infamous 2007 elections where some constituencies recorded over a 100 per cent turn up in voting.

Victory pact

Wamalwa revealed that President Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga and him will today meet IEBC team over biometric voter registration process. “It is not an issue of if but when and how it will be done, but one thing is certain we must register voters electronically,” said Wamalwa.

Wamalwa, who has in the past denied talk that he would be Uhuru’s running mate, said they were working on a pact with the Gatundu South MP to ensure they clinch victory in the next polls within the first round of voting. Uhuru lined up three aspirants seeking the Kajiado North parliamentary seat on TNA ticket namely Moses ole Sakuda, Francis Parsimei and Joseph Manje and told the electorate that the party would rally behind whoever wins the party’s primaries on August 15.

“We have not picked anyone, we want the rule of democracy to be our guide and whoever will win the support of the electorate is the candidate we will work with,” said Uhuru.

Uhuru’s gesture helped to cool political temperatures ahead of the forthcoming by-elections. There have been claims that TNA aspirants may not get fair nomination process.

The seat fell vacant after the death of former Internal Security minister George Saitoti in a helicopter crash.