Prepare to accept next year's poll results, Raila allies now tell Ruto

 

ODM Party Leader Raila Odinga aims to shoot with an arrow, accompanied by Kamba delegation who had paid him a courtesy call at Chungwa house, on Tuesday, November 9, 2021. [Samson Wire. Standard].

Raila Odinga-led ODM party has sensationally claimed that Deputy President William Ruto is planning to reject the outcome of the presidential election next year.

Top officials of the party yesterday alleged that Ruto had 'sensed defeat' in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s succession contest and was engaged in a fishing expedition to dispute results.

ODM Chairman John Mbadi, Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, and Director of Elections Junet Mohammed (Suna East) said the game plan by United Democratic Alliance (UDA) was to come up with allegations of plans to manipulate the polls in favour of Raila before rejecting the outcome.

They said a recent protest by Ruto allies over the alleged involvement of Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangí and his ICT counterpart Joe Mucheru in next year's polls, was part of the larger scheme to create a perception that the exercise was pre-determined.

Further, they alleged a deliberate attempt to paint Raila as a State project so as to advance the rigging narrative.

The leaders made the remarks when Raila hosted a delegation from Ukambani counties of Machakos, Kitu, and Makueni at the party’s headquarters in Nairobi.

Raila reiterated his plans to declare his bid for the top seat on December 9 after concluding his Azimio La Umoja campaigns.

He said he would take the unity bid to Makueni on Friday before moving to other parts of the country.

Sifuna challenged the DP to publicly assure Kenyans that he will accept the poll outcome for a smooth transition.

“They have started complaining that Cabinet Secretaries are supporting your presidential bid. Those are tactics of the opposition; they have already started preparing to reject the outcome,” said Sifuna.

“I am already worried and I want Ruto to assure the country that he will accept the 2022 results. People have seen all the signs that Raila is the 5th President; even Ruto has seen the signs that is why he has started all these stories. We want an assurance from Ruto that he will accept the outcome of the 2022 General Election,” added Sifuna

Mohammed said the politicians claiming plot to manipulate the polls are the same individuals who rejected ODM’s push for reforms at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

He said Ruto has since realised he has lost grounds to Raila and was now trying to divert attention with claims of plans to rig the polls.

“We told our opponents that election campaigns are not sprints; it is a marathon. Some of these people you see are mere pacesetters,” said Mohammed.

“When you see a politician making complaints it is a sign they have started losing the ground. When we told them there was need for reforms at the IEBC they told us even if we have Oburu Oginga (Raila’s elder brother) at the commission, they will still win. They are now complaining that so and so is supporting Raila,” he added.

Mbadi said those advancing the narrative that Raila is a state project had sensed defeat and were now clutching on anything to derail the former Prime Minister’s bid.

“Since Raila started politics he has never been a project. He can't be a project of an individual but of the people of Kenya,” said Mbadi.

UDA last week wrote a protest letter to IEBC over inclusion of Matiang’i and Mucheru into a multi-agency team planning for a free, fair and transparent General Election.

In the letter dated October 29, UDA wants the duo removed from the team since they are openly campaigning for Raila's candidature.

Through Secretary-General Veronica Maina, UDA also wants the electoral body to stop the CSs from meddling in the election preparations and instead take charge of the exercise as per the law.

Maina said it was wrong and dangerous for IEBC to allow Matiang'i to dictate to it how to prepare for the election when it is their constitutional mandate to carry out elections.

“Elections are a democratic process that has nothing to do with government functionaries. Article 81 of the Constitution is clear that free, fair and credible elections are administered in an impartial manner and free from intimidation and improper influence,” UDA said in the letter.

“The two CSs have been acting in a blatant manner yet the two ministries they head form a core part in providing support services in coordination of next year’s General Election,” added the letter.

The protests against the two CSs was started by MPs allied to the DP, who demanded that they be transferred to other dockets not directly involved in elections planning.

Earlier in the week, politicians allied to Ruto demanded resignation of the two CSs over claims that they are partisan and have rallied behind the ODM leader.

“We cannot allow people who are ministers in such critical ministries at such a time like this to be partisan,” said Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro.

Mathira MP Rigathi Gachague also demanded that the CSs be transferred.

“And if the President for whatever reason requires these two ministers in his government, he can move them to other dockets that have nothing to do with the elections,” said Gachagua.