Roots Party presidential candidate George Wajackoyah has clarified that he has no secret deal with Azimio la Umoja One Kenya leader Raila Odinga even as he continues to feud with the church over marijuana.
Prof Wajackoyah said his recent defense of the former Prime Minister on the campaign trail in Kisumu was aimed at wooing residents to give him an ear while deflecting any possible political intolerance that others had faced in the region.
In an interview with NTV on Wednesday, he said that despite praising Mr Odinga, he is not a project of the Azimio honcho, saying the latter and Deputy President William Ruto are part of the establishment.
"I was in Raila's backyard. People have been stoned there and when he saw me sleeping on the car, I was dreaming. In my dream, because I'm very spiritual, I was talking to Raila …,” he said.
“I was asking him: Do you want me to die in Kisumu because this is Kondele? Ruto was stoned here, do you want me to die here? I [had] never spoken to Raila since I left the UK, until two-three years ago, when I met him with Junet Mohamed when I was passing by the Serena hotel."
Exuding confidence that he would trounce both DP Ruto of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Mr Odinga in the August 9 polls, Mr Wajackoyah dismissed the latest opinion polls, saying that he was more popular than his competitors and that “sane" Kenyans are supporting his State House bid.
"I don't believe in those polls that are doctored. And that's why I say that, once I take over power, we shall review those foreign companies that come to mine money. I can't be seven percent; I could be 75 percent. I'm not a donkey. Well, I'm a donkey as they say, but I'm not third-class," he said.
Mr Wajackoyah slammed religious leaders who have been asking Kenyans not to elect leaders who are encouraging drug abuse, asking them not to “engineer” ignorance.
He said he is not promoting the smoking of bhang but rather its industrialisation and medical uses and those ridiculing his marijuana manifesto do not understand it. He clarified that if he is elected, the growing of marijuana would be regulated and not every Kenyan would cultivate it.
"We are looking at industrialisation and medicinal and then we shall have partners to work with. Like now, I'm going to the US to meet with some of the biggest companies that grow marijuana and associates are elated to help me so that I can go and speak with them,” he said.
“The Malawian government has also invited me to go to Malawi. They see me as an ally because we need economic growth in this region.
"The church and the bishops ought to have known that in Israel is a holy herb. They call it Calamus. What I am saying is that ignorance should not be engineered by bishops and pastors."
Catholic bishops want Kenyans to reject leaders who have unethical proposals in their manifestos, such as those seeking to support abortion, the liberalisation of sexual activities such as pornography and promoting drug use.
“Unethical manifestos contained, among others, liberalisation and promotion of drug use,” said Nyeri Archbishop Anthony Muheria recently.
“Let us keep this in mind that for a nation to thrive, it must be founded on ethical and moral grounds.''
Mr Wajackoyah pledged that if elected he would suspend the Constitution for six months and in that period Kenya would be guided by the Preamble of the Constitution, which he said gives power to the people.
In the same duration, he would ask Kenyans to amend the Constitution so as to introduce the death penalty for those convicted of corruption.
"[The] articles of the Constitution … can be done away with. You cannot do away with the people. So I will use the preamble so long as the people give me the mandate ….”
Regarding Mr Wajackoyah's initial plans to unveil his manifesto on Saturday, he said the event might be rescheduled due to a family emergency, and hit out at DP Ruto and Mr Odinga over what they said they would do in the first 100 days in office.
Mr Wajackoyah said his first 100 days in office will be used to release all petty offenders in prisons, including those jailed for possessing hemp.
"We are inheriting a debt. We are in trouble. We have to do something. Maybe I might call on citizens to contribute before bhang is grown up to six months, because it grows only for six months and then it becomes mature,” he said.
