Opposition leader Raila Odinga yesterday made a fresh claim over the 2022 presidential election, even as he vowed to continue pushing for President William Ruto to vacate State House on allegations that he did not win the August 9 polls.
The Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party leader claimed former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairperson Wafula Chebukati visited his Karen home just before the elections.
Addressing his supporters at the historical Jacaranda grounds in Embakasi East, Nairobi, Mr Odinga said Mr Chebukati was accompanied by former commissioners Prof Abdi Guliye and Mr Boya Molu.
Calling the revelation a fresh dossier, the former prime minister challenged the three to come clean on the purpose of the visit even as he called for their arrest.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader claimed to possess CCTV footage of the three in his house and dared them to state what they demanded during the visit.
Azimio leader Raila Odinga, Narc Kenya’s Martha Karua and other coalition leaders arrive at Jacaranda grounds in Nairobi on January 29, 2023.
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group
The allegations come after the ex-IEBC boss last Tuesday claimed Azimio Executive Director Raphael Tuju offered to bribe IEBC commissioners to block William Ruto’s victory while appearing before the Justice Aggrey Muchelule-led tribunal. Mr Chebukati alleged that the former Rarieda MP offered them money should the commissioners accept to moderate the presidential election results in favour of Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga or, at worst, force a re-run.
“He [Mr Chebukati] says there are people who wanted to bribe them but they should say what they were doing in my house. Why did you come to my house? What did you ask for? I have CCTV footage and if they continue playing with our minds, then I will release it,” said Mr Odinga to an ecstatic crowd who urged him to reveal more.
Mr Odinga added that even Mr Tuju also has footage of the three visiting his house ahead of the August 9 elections. Mr Odinga called on the international community to launch investigations into the elections, saying he will not accept IEBC’s “fake” results.
This, as he dismissed a planned probe by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations into the authenticity of files allegedly released by an IEBC whistle-blower on January 18 to support Azimio’s claim to victory.
“We want the Commonwealth Secretariat and UN [United Nations] to send investigators to Kenya within the next two weeks rather than [President] Ruto doing the investigations, or else Kenyans will take matters into their own hands,” he said.
Mr Odinga maintained that he won the August 9 presidential election by more than two million votes according to the dossier by the whistle-blower, results, he said, have not been denounced by anyone from the electoral commission.
He said Azimio rejected the results announced by Mr Chebukati on August 15 and did not recognise Dr Ruto as the President.
Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga addresses supporters at a rally at Nairobi's Jacaranda Grounds on January 29, 2023.
Photo credit: Tony Karumba | AFP
He said Azimio wants the truth to be known and this was only possible with access to the IEBC server for a comprehensive audit.
“Accept that you [Dr Ruto] were defeated in the election, leave State House for Baba to get in. All we want is justice and without the truth, there can be no justice. We have evidence that he didn’t win,” said the former premier.
Mr Odinga said Azimio will continue with the “public consultative” meetings after his return from Nigeria and Senegal with the next stops in Kamukunji in Kibra and Machakos Town as part of the countrywide rallies.
“We demand that the Kenya Kwanza government resigns immediately. There can be no peace without electoral justice. The election outcome must be respected and that’s why we are saying Ruto must go,” he said.
Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua said they will not accept intimidation from the Kenya Kwanza government in their pursuit of justice. She accused President Ruto of suspending the constitution since being sworn in, saying, he has been appointing people with questionable integrity and passing policies without approval by Parliament.
“Ruto must go. Raila won the elections and Ruto should pack and go home. This fight is not about Raila but about you Kenyans. You would have been going to school for free now if Raila’s victory was not stolen,” said Ms Karua.
Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka said their meetings are aimed at ending the culture of election theft in the country.
“We will not be played with again. We will be peaceful in our meetings,” he said.
Jubilee Party Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni dispelled assertions by President Ruto that Mr Odinga is pushing for a handshake, saying, Azimio is not looking to work with a government without an agenda or direction.
Embakasi East lawmaker Babu Owino said there is no way DCI, an employee of Dr Ruto, can purport to conduct an investigation into claims of rigging in the 2022 elections.
“DCI boss Mohamed Amin is Ruto’s appointee and you can never give a hyena a job of looking after a goat. We need the UN or Commonwealth to investigate the elections. Let them tell us who killed the Embakasi East returning officer,” said Mr Owino.
