How we got here: A timeline of events leading up to the Raila oath

 

NASA leader Raila Odinga at a past function [Courtesy]

What began as a demand by the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) for the resignation of commissioners at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in April 2016 has snowballed to the greatest political and constitutional crisis Kenya has ever seen.

With just hours to the planned ‘swearing in’ of NASA leader Raila Odinga as ‘president’ we go down memory lane to show you how weekly street protests two years ago have led the country to a make or break moment.

2016

April 26

Cord begins weekly street protests in order to force IEBC commissioners to leave the commission after they decline to approve the OKOA Kenya bill citing forging of signatures among other reasons.

October 25

Raila demands for fresh voter listing and halting of any procurement processes at the IEBC until new commissioners are sworn in.

December 17
The Opposition dismisses a planned forensic audit of the voters' register as a ploy to rig the 2017 election in favour of Jubilee. IEBC had contracted audit firm KPMG to audit the voters register but Nasa says it is a gimmick by Jubilee.

December 23
CORD calls for mass action over the amendment of electoral laws by allowing a manual back-up mechanism during the General Elections. Cord MPs walk out of parliament in protest.
Raila accuses Jubilee of undermining gains made through a bipartisan approach by the Joint Select Parliamentary Committee that was co-chaired by senators James Orengo (Siaya) and Kiraitu Murungi (Meru).

2017

April 3

Odinga announces that NASA will do a parallel tally and release its results after the polls despite protests from Jubilee and the IEBC.
NASA insists this will create no room for Jubilee to rig elections "like they did in 2013."

May 15
The Opposition threatens to boycott the August 8 polls if tallying at the constituency level would not be deemed final. NASA leaders said they would not accept any Court of Appeal ruling that overturns a High Court ruling that presidential results declared at the constituency were final.

June 14
Odinga contests the awarding of gulf firm Al Ghurair with a tender to print ballot papers after an expose in the media says the family that owns the company hosted President Uhuru Kenyatta where top Jubilee officials at the meeting allegedly promised to deliver the contract.
The NASA presidential candidate claims the involvement of Al Ghurair greatly compromises the credibility of the elections.

June 21
Raila accuses the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the military of plotting to help Jubilee to rig the elections, claims which are quickly denied by the government.

"A series of meetings of officers from the National Intelligence Service have taken place with the sole purpose of coming up with a plan to help Jubilee retain power at all costs, particularly in the event that the courts maintain that results declared at the constituency level are final," Raila tells journalists from his Capitol Hill offices in Nairobi.

June 23
NASA gets another win after the Court of Appeal rules that presidential results will be announced at constituency level and will not be reviewed by the IEBC sitting in Nairobi.

July 1

The Opposition sparks a fresh war with the IEBC claiming there is a plan to manipulate elections results through secret polling stations that are yet to be declared. Challenges the commission to publish the list of polling stations.

July 6
NASA asks for the recalling of parliament in a special sitting to discuss the audit of the voters register done by global auditing firm KPMG.

July 7
High Court justices Joel Ngugi, George Odunga and John Mativo rule that IEBC failed to ensure there was public participation in the tendering process of the printing of ballot papers.

They quash the contract the awarded to Al Ghurair firm in June by IEBC through single sourcing.

They direct the agency to re-advertise the award for the printing of presidential election materials.

July 20
Court of Appeal rules that Al Ghurair can go ahead with the printing of presidential ballot papers. A five-judge bench on Thursday reversed a decision that terminated the awarding of the contract to the Dubai-based firm.

The judges said the High Court erred in holding public participation a mandatory requirement for direct procurement.

August 8
Voting takes place smoothly. International observers praise how it was conducted.

August 10
NASA demands that its candidate Raila Odinga be declared president, claiming it had evidence he had won an election. Raila's chief agent Musalia Mudavadi says Odinga had 8.04 million votes, leading Kenyatta on 7.75 million.

August 11
President Uhuru Kenyatta is declared winner with 54 percent of the vote against Raila's 45 percent. Protests erupt in several parts of the country. Human rights groups claim at least 24 people killed by the police but the government denies. NASA calls for calm.

August 16
NASA decides to go to court to challenge Uhuru's victory.

September 1

Supreme Court annuls Uhuru's victory in a landmark ruling and orders a fresh vote within 60 days. 

The six-judge bench rules 4-2 in favour of a petition filed by the opposition which had claimed the electronic voting results were hacked and manipulated in favour of the incumbent.

October 10

Raila withdraws from repeat poll citing the failure of IEBC to meet NASA's irreducible minimums. He says that it is only through his withdrawal from the showdown that the country will have a credible, free and fair election as per the law. NASA also announces a restart of nationwide protests.

October 26

IEBC holds a repeat presidential election that is boycotted by NASA supporters amidst violence in some areas. Voting does not take place in 27 constituencies as protestors in Luo Nyanza clash with the police.

October 30

IEBC declares Uhuru the winner in the repeat presidential election terming the poll free, fair and credible. Uhuru garners 7,483,895 votes, which is 98.27pc of the valid votes cast. The victory is challenged at the Supreme Court once again.

November 20

Supreme Court upholds Uhuru's win. In a unanimous decision read by Chief Justice David Maraga, the six-judge bench of the Supreme Court dismissed the petitions challenging President Uhuru Kenyatta's re-election, saying the cases were not merited.

November 28

President Uhuru Kenyatta is sworn in for a third and final term at the Kasarani Stadium. He pledges to unite the country and urges the opposition to move on.

December 3

Raila and Kalonzo demand for talks with Jubilee on electoral justice. They say if talks are not held they will be sworn in as president and deputy president on December 12. 

Among the issues the opposition wants the talks to be based on is a rotational presidency, empowerment of county governments and the reorganization of the three arms of government.

The swearing in plans are however postponed twice due to the absence of Kalonzo Musyoka and behind the scenes attempts to bring the two political sides to a table.

December 27

NASA co principal Kalonzo Musyoka returns to the country after a four-month stint in Germany. His return immediately gives a boost to the plans to swear in Raila Odinga.

2018

January 8

NASA leaders while on a rally in Kakamega announce a nationwide campaign to build momentum for the swearing in of opposition leaders Raila Odinga and his deputy Kalonzo Musyoka on January 30. 

January 23

Attorney General Githu Muigai moves to court to challenge the formation of the People’s Assemblies in the NASA support bases.

The AG in a case filed under certificate of urgency against 15 county assemblies and Council of County Governors, asks the court to declare formation of the assemblies illegal and unconstitutional.