We will protect our votes, Raila assures supporters

NASA presidential candidate Raila Odinga adresses crowd in West Pokot. (Photo: Peter Ochieng'/Standard)

National Super Alliance (NASA) presidential candidate Raila Odinga has instructed their agents and party officials to arm themselves with the copy of an updated voters register to guard against rigging on August 8.

He also asked the officials to capture the names of those who will turn up to vote to ensure ghost voters do not cast the ballot and to uphold credibility of the results.

“All polling stations should be manned by our party officials together with the agents to ward off alteration of results. Presidential results must also be announced there,” Raila said Friday at a rally in Makutano town, West Pokot County.

Mobilise voters

He said NASA youthful supporters will mobilise voters to ensure many of them vote.

“When the IEBC announces the results at the polling centre, our agents and party officials will be taking the photos and feeding our tallying centre with the results,” he said.

“We want five party officials and the youth to be present in each polling centre throughout the voting process and safeguard results from being manipulated.”

The NASA team, including co-principals Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi, Isaac Ruto and Moses Wetang’ula, continued with their North Rift campaigns Friday and rallied the electorate to vote out the Jubilee government, which they accused of mismanaging the country.

They accused Jubilee of over-borrowing donor funds, which has plunged the country into huge debts.

“The incoming Government will have an enormous task in repaying the loans, which runs into trillions of shillings. This Government must be sent packing come August,” Kalonzo said.

He accused the Government of doing business with the lives of Kenyans by “hoarding maize in high seas” then selling it back to desperate and hungry citizens. “As NASA Government, we shall not allow any elected member in any capacity or Government officials to conduct any form of business as this will bring about conflicts of interest,” Siaya Senator James Orengo said.

Ruto accused the government of getting its priorities wrong and making Kenyans suffer.

“The shoes are pinching and Kenyans are tired of the pain. The shoes will be removed in August when the Jubilee Government is voted out,” Mudavadi said.

Rally on the streets

Earlier, the NASA brigade accused Jubilee leaders in West Pokot County of barring them from hosting their rally at Makutano Stadium, forcing them to go to the streets.

They took a swipe at Jubilee leaders, saying they will not be in power forever to be denying the Opposition public property. Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok said he is a NASA candidate, but when President Uhuru Kenyatta tours his county he allows Jubilee rallies to be conducted at the local stadium.

“Governor Simon Kachapin is my neighbour and denying NASA a venue to conduct its rally is backwardness of the highest order. NASA will form the next Government,” he said.

No agenda

However, Kachapin dismissed the allegations, saying the stadium was still being renovated and they could not allow any function to be held there.

He said the NASA team had no agenda to sell to the people of West Pokot and criticised them for making the stadium issue their agenda.

“Even when Deputy President William Ruto toured the county, he didn’t hold his rally at the stadium,” Kachapin said.