Raila unveils plans to force Uhuru ouster, fresh polls in 90 days

NASA Principal Musalia Mudavadi addresses the coalition's Parliamentary Group at Wiper House in Nairobi. [Ken Andiema, Standard]

The Opposition is planning to mobilise its supporters across the country to Nairobi to force a new election in 90 days.

The Raila Odinga-led National Super Alliance (NASA) plans demonstrations, marches, occupation of streets, non-violent civil resistance, acts of civil disobedience and strikes by various groups with some to be ferried from rural areas.

NASA says it will not recognise the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta and it has embarked on plans to force him to cede power and pave way for another election through an "Egypt-like revolution".

Yesterday Raila and co-principal Musalia Mudavadi chaired a parliamentary group meeting at Wiper Party headquarters where they discussed the strategy and how to implement it.

MPs affiliated to the coalition volunteered to mobilise supporters from their regions, with protests expected to start as early as next week, after they were pushed from this week to allow KCPE candidates complete their exams.

The legislators from both the Senate and National Assembly offered to ferry 3,000 supporters each to the city ahead of the protests.

Later Raila addressed a press conference at the Okoa Kenya offices where he unveiled NASA’s programme of actions through the coalition’s parliamentary party and the National Resistance Movement.

“The resistance movement shall be responsible for implementing a vigorous positive political action programme that includes economic boycotts, peaceful processions, picketing and other legitimate protests. If there is no justice for the people, let there be no peace for the Government,” Raila said.

He added that he would be announcing the date and programme of the assembly’s inaugural convention in the coming days.

Raila said campaigns for electoral justice in Kenya had just begun as he acknowledged global messages of solidarity to end alleged election fraud in Kenya.

“We announce today the establishment of a People’s Assembly. The People’s Assembly is the vehicle through which we will exercise the solemn duty of restoring democracy, constitutionalism and the rule of law,” revealed Raila.

He continued: “The People’s Assembly will be a broad-based forum consisting of elected leaders and the leadership of other sectors of society in particular workers, civil society, religious leaders, women, youth and economic interest groups.”

The opposition chief said the People’s Assembly would continue to exist until a "legitimate presidency is restored".

He went on: “We call upon all county assemblies to pass resolutions supporting the establishment of the People’s Assembly.”

“Peaceful protest is an inalienable political right, is one of the most important freedoms that we have secured for ourselves in our 2010 Constitution. Every person has a right, peaceably and unarmed, to assemble, to demonstrate, to picket and to present petitions to public authorities,” he said.

Credible polls

Raila faulted Independent and Electoral Commission (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati for failing to keep his word after he admitted he could not guarantee credible, free and fair polls, six days to the polls and promised to resign.

But Chebukati, while declaring the results on Monday, said he was confident IEBC had overseen a credible repeat poll, citing changes that saw a new project team manage the election.

Yesterday, IEBC announced it had opened its result transmission server for scrutiny by presidential candidates, their agents and observers.