Raila: Why I Took London Trip After Election Pullout
MONDAY OCTOBER 16 2017
Kenya Daily Nation
Nasa leader Raila Odinga addresses a rally at Mama Ngina Drive in Mombasa, yesterday. He denied claims that he is pushing for a power-sharing deal. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
In Summary
Mr Odinga rejected claims that he was fighting for a power-sharing deal with Jubilee and vowed to continue with his “No reforms; No elections” campaign.
Mr Odinga, who arrived in the country from the UK on Sunday morning, denied allegations that his mission in London was to beg the international community to help him ascend to power.
Mr Mudavadi said Kenyans had no confidence in IEBC as currently constituted, while Mr Wetang’ula said justice is the foundation of peace and success.
The President said Mr Odinga was portraying the country’s democracy as rotten to attract the attention of the international community.
By LUCAS BARASA
By MOHAMED AHMED
Nasa leader Raila Odinga on Sunday dismissed President Uhuru Kenyatta’s claims that the opposition was seeking the intervention of foreign countries in the election stalemate, reiterating that he was not interested in sharing power.
Mr Odinga rejected claims that he was fighting for a power-sharing deal with Jubilee and vowed to continue with his “No reforms; No elections” campaign which will be intensified from Monday, with daily street demonstrations.
The former Prime Minister took a swipe at Deputy President William Ruto, saying he pushed for a coalition government in the aftermath of the December 2007 post election violence.
Mr Odinga, who arrived in the country from the UK on Sunday morning, denied allegations that his mission in London was to beg the international community to help him ascend to power. He had toured London for a break after hectic campaigns and to tell the world the truth about Kenya.
While the Jubilee administration was using ambassadors to spread “propaganda,”’ about the country, Mr Odinga said he had to go and set the record straight in front of an international audience.
KNEEL DOWN
“I arrived today (Sunday) morning from UK. Others are saying I had gone to kneel down to the international community so that they can come to mediate on the political crisis in the country. That is not true,” he said at the Neno Evangelical Church in Tudor, Mombasa, before addressing a rally at Mama Ngina Grounds.
He charged that President Kenyatta was directing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) whose chairman Wafula Chebukati was sympathetic to Jubilee to protect his job. He likened the President to Shylock in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice and Mr Chebukati to the merchant.
Mr Odinga was with co-principals Musalia Mudavadi, Moses Wetang’ula, Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and 26 MPs. He said Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka was in Germany.
He urged his supporters to continue with protests to push for electoral reform changes from Monday to Friday.
“I am not interested in nusu mkate, we need full boflo (bread), (I’m not interested in sharing power. I want to be fully in charge),” said Mr Odinga.
RIGGING
With the crowd chanting: “Uhuru Must Go,” Mr Odinga said his votes were altered in Nairobi to show that President Kenyatta had received more votes in Mombasa than he did in 2013.
“Shame on him,” Mr Odinga said in reference to the alleged rigging.
The Nasa leader said the Supreme Court unearthed irregularities in the August election and that all Nasa was interested in was seeing the illegalities sorted out.
He said before President Kenyatta makes good his threat to punish the Supreme Court judges for nullifying his victory, Kenyans would teach him a lesson.
If IEBC had opened its servers as ordered by the court, he would have been declared the election winner, he said, adding: “That is why we came out with irreducible minimum conditions for IEBC, ” he said.
Dismissing the defection of former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar to Jubilee as inconsequential, Mr Odinga thanked Mombasa residents for voting overwhelmingly for Nasa in the August vote.
POWER
Mr Mudavadi said Kenyans had no confidence in IEBC as currently constituted, while Mr Wetang’ula said justice is the foundation of peace and success. “Even a one-year-old baby will cry if denied justice,” he said.
Mr Wetang’ula also denied Nasa was begging the international community to help the opposition ascend to power.
Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho dismissed the defections of some Nasa leaders to Jubilee as inconsequential, saying a majority of ordinary Kenyans were firmly behind the opposition.
Mr Joho and his Kilifi counterpart Amason Kingi led the crowd in chanting: “No reforms. No elections”.
Coast Parliamentary Group chairman Suleiman Dori asked coast residents not to pay taxes to the national government just as President Kenyatta had asked Kongowea traders not to pay to the county.
He said Coast leaders would push for secession of the region if Mr Odinga does not become president.
STATE HOUSE
Suna East MP Junet Mohamed said President Kenyatta should be kicked out of State House if he doesn’t leave by November and that Nasa will hold major demonstrations on October 26.
Earlier at the church, Bishop Robert Wafula was cheered when he prayed for Mr Odinga to succeed in his quest for presidency.
Mr Odinga also “accepted Jesus Christ as his personal saviour,” by repeating a prayer after the bishop.
While campaigning in Kenol town in Murang’a town on Saturday, President Kenyatta said the country does not need mediators since it is not in a crisis.
ROTTEN
The President said Mr Odinga was portraying the country’s democracy as rotten to attract the attention of the international community but he insisted that the county will not be ruled by foreigners.
“We told you before that he never wanted an election and he still does not want one that’s why he is busy kneeling before the white man claiming that the country is at war,” said the President. Mr Odinga was in London to speak about democracy and justice at Chatham House.
Among prominent opposition leaders who ditched Nasa after losing the August 8 elections are Mr Omar, former Taita-Taveta Governor John Mruttu and former Likoni MP Suleiman Shakombo.
Kenya Daily Nation
Nasa leader Raila Odinga addresses a rally at Mama Ngina Drive in Mombasa, yesterday. He denied claims that he is pushing for a power-sharing deal. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
In Summary
Mr Odinga rejected claims that he was fighting for a power-sharing deal with Jubilee and vowed to continue with his “No reforms; No elections” campaign.
Mr Odinga, who arrived in the country from the UK on Sunday morning, denied allegations that his mission in London was to beg the international community to help him ascend to power.
Mr Mudavadi said Kenyans had no confidence in IEBC as currently constituted, while Mr Wetang’ula said justice is the foundation of peace and success.
The President said Mr Odinga was portraying the country’s democracy as rotten to attract the attention of the international community.
By LUCAS BARASA
By MOHAMED AHMED
Nasa leader Raila Odinga on Sunday dismissed President Uhuru Kenyatta’s claims that the opposition was seeking the intervention of foreign countries in the election stalemate, reiterating that he was not interested in sharing power.
Mr Odinga rejected claims that he was fighting for a power-sharing deal with Jubilee and vowed to continue with his “No reforms; No elections” campaign which will be intensified from Monday, with daily street demonstrations.
The former Prime Minister took a swipe at Deputy President William Ruto, saying he pushed for a coalition government in the aftermath of the December 2007 post election violence.
Mr Odinga, who arrived in the country from the UK on Sunday morning, denied allegations that his mission in London was to beg the international community to help him ascend to power. He had toured London for a break after hectic campaigns and to tell the world the truth about Kenya.
While the Jubilee administration was using ambassadors to spread “propaganda,”’ about the country, Mr Odinga said he had to go and set the record straight in front of an international audience.
KNEEL DOWN
“I arrived today (Sunday) morning from UK. Others are saying I had gone to kneel down to the international community so that they can come to mediate on the political crisis in the country. That is not true,” he said at the Neno Evangelical Church in Tudor, Mombasa, before addressing a rally at Mama Ngina Grounds.
He charged that President Kenyatta was directing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) whose chairman Wafula Chebukati was sympathetic to Jubilee to protect his job. He likened the President to Shylock in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice and Mr Chebukati to the merchant.
Mr Odinga was with co-principals Musalia Mudavadi, Moses Wetang’ula, Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and 26 MPs. He said Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka was in Germany.
He urged his supporters to continue with protests to push for electoral reform changes from Monday to Friday.
“I am not interested in nusu mkate, we need full boflo (bread), (I’m not interested in sharing power. I want to be fully in charge),” said Mr Odinga.
RIGGING
With the crowd chanting: “Uhuru Must Go,” Mr Odinga said his votes were altered in Nairobi to show that President Kenyatta had received more votes in Mombasa than he did in 2013.
“Shame on him,” Mr Odinga said in reference to the alleged rigging.
The Nasa leader said the Supreme Court unearthed irregularities in the August election and that all Nasa was interested in was seeing the illegalities sorted out.
He said before President Kenyatta makes good his threat to punish the Supreme Court judges for nullifying his victory, Kenyans would teach him a lesson.
If IEBC had opened its servers as ordered by the court, he would have been declared the election winner, he said, adding: “That is why we came out with irreducible minimum conditions for IEBC, ” he said.
Dismissing the defection of former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar to Jubilee as inconsequential, Mr Odinga thanked Mombasa residents for voting overwhelmingly for Nasa in the August vote.
POWER
Mr Mudavadi said Kenyans had no confidence in IEBC as currently constituted, while Mr Wetang’ula said justice is the foundation of peace and success. “Even a one-year-old baby will cry if denied justice,” he said.
Mr Wetang’ula also denied Nasa was begging the international community to help the opposition ascend to power.
Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho dismissed the defections of some Nasa leaders to Jubilee as inconsequential, saying a majority of ordinary Kenyans were firmly behind the opposition.
Mr Joho and his Kilifi counterpart Amason Kingi led the crowd in chanting: “No reforms. No elections”.
Coast Parliamentary Group chairman Suleiman Dori asked coast residents not to pay taxes to the national government just as President Kenyatta had asked Kongowea traders not to pay to the county.
He said Coast leaders would push for secession of the region if Mr Odinga does not become president.
STATE HOUSE
Suna East MP Junet Mohamed said President Kenyatta should be kicked out of State House if he doesn’t leave by November and that Nasa will hold major demonstrations on October 26.
Earlier at the church, Bishop Robert Wafula was cheered when he prayed for Mr Odinga to succeed in his quest for presidency.
Mr Odinga also “accepted Jesus Christ as his personal saviour,” by repeating a prayer after the bishop.
While campaigning in Kenol town in Murang’a town on Saturday, President Kenyatta said the country does not need mediators since it is not in a crisis.
ROTTEN
The President said Mr Odinga was portraying the country’s democracy as rotten to attract the attention of the international community but he insisted that the county will not be ruled by foreigners.
“We told you before that he never wanted an election and he still does not want one that’s why he is busy kneeling before the white man claiming that the country is at war,” said the President. Mr Odinga was in London to speak about democracy and justice at Chatham House.
Among prominent opposition leaders who ditched Nasa after losing the August 8 elections are Mr Omar, former Taita-Taveta Governor John Mruttu and former Likoni MP Suleiman Shakombo.
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