Thursday October 19, 2017
Nasa leaders on Wednesday vowed that there will be no fresh presidential election on October 26 as they rallied their supporters from the previous “no reforms, no election” clarion call to “October no election”.
Addressing a public rally on Wednesday at Kamukunji grounds, Nasa leaders Mr Raila Odinga, Mr Musalia Mudavadi, Mr Moses Wetang’ula and a host of MPs, told their supporters to prepare for major demonstrations across the country on October 26.
The opposition leaders said there will be no election until their 12-point “irreducible minimums” presented to the electoral commission are addressed and said what will happen on October 26 will be an opinion poll of Jubilee supporters.
“The Supreme Court said the election must be conducted in line with the Constitution and the relevant laws. Our 12-point irreducible minimums were crafted from the court ruling. We have continued to negotiate with the IEBC for the fulfilment of our demands but to no avail,” said Mr Odinga, noting that Nasa will not tire of pushing for changes at the commission.
RESIGNATION
Mr Odinga also said the resignation of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission commissioner Roselyn Akombe was a clear indication that the commission was rotten and urged its chairman Wafula Chebukati to follow suit, saying he had ceded control of the agency to State House.
“This agency has been held hostage by Jubilee. This is the reason Ms Akombe resigned saying that the chairman is under siege. They (Jubilee and IEBC) are saying that my name must be on the ballot but I say no,” he said.
On Mr Chebukati’s continued stay in office, Mr Wetang’ula said: “If the alligator comes from the water and tells you that the crocodile is sick, you better believe it. It is time for you to leave.” He said this in reference to the resignation of Ms Akombe.
“Ms Akombe said there is a problem. Today you have spoken, you have moved but not moved enough. Nobody remembers those who served under your predecessors- the late Zacchaeus Chesoni, and Samuel Kivuitu and Issack Hassan,” he added.
SUPREME COURT
Nasa is pushing for the removal from office of the commission’s CEO Ezra Chiloba, director of elections Immaculate Kassait among others for their roles in the August 8 presidential election that was nullified by the Supreme Court.
“That is why we must go to the drawing board to rectify the issues affecting the commission so that we can have a country governed by the people not where leaders impose themselves on the people,” said Mr Odinga.
Mr Odinga told President Uhuru Kenyatta that he had seen worse days under the previous regimes.
“If we didn’t fear detention at the time the country had punitive laws against those fighting for their rights, we will not fear now. Kenyans will not accept the rule of the jungle to be imposed on them. There is a Constitution that must be respected,” he said.
A visibly charged Mr Odinga told President Kenyatta to respect Kenyans and the Judiciary, adding that he should desist from “using the Inspector-General of police Joseph Boinnet to kill and maim Kenyans”.
“Mr Boinnet has become the butcher- man of the people of Kenya but we will not accept it,” he said noting that the victims of police brutality will be remembered on October 20, a national holiday reserved to commemorate those who fought for independence.
Mr Mudavadi said Ms Akombe’s resignation had exposed Mr Chebukati.
“Mr Chebukati, the message is so crystal clear. This people will not change, they are putting you in a corner and when the time comes, you will be left alone. Don’t be used to commit treasonable acts,” he said.
He told President Kenyatta he will one day be called to account for injustices committed against Kenyans.