ODINGA THREATENS TO SWEAR HIMSELF

History could be repeating itself in Kenya if veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga goes ahead with a threat to swear himself.

Four years ago, Odinga was sworn in by lawyer Miguna Miguna after they disputed the results of the 2017 elections, and boycotted the re-run following a Supreme Court decision that the original polls be cancelled.

Miguna Miguna was soon after deported to Canada for his role in the unofficial swearing-in of opposition leader Odinga as “the people’s president”. Miguna is a citizen of Canada and is now a critic of Odinga.

Uhuru Kenyatta months later struck a reconciliation deal dubbed the ‘handshake’ with Odinga, alienating William Ruto.

Robert Alai, a renowned city blogger and an insider in the Azimio la Umoja camp, last night tweeted on their next move, intimating a self swearing in.

“Raila to be sworn in as President. Commission is only functional and valid when with the requisite number of commissioners. We aren’t going to court. More than half of the commissioners will give baba the certificate,” Alai said.

Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition running mate Martha Karua also indicated they will not take the William Ruto victory in the Presidential poll lying down. Court is likely to be an option, as Odinga got a favourable hearing from them the last time.

It is not over until it is over,” tweeted Karua.

“Any results the IEBC and Chebukati announces are invalid because he had no quorum of commissioners to hold a plenary and make such a weighty decision. The ongoing process at Bomas is now illegal,” tweeted Azimio spokesperson Prof Makau Mutua.

Together with Siaya Governor-elect James Orengo and his Kisumu counterpart Anyang Nyong’o, Mutua argued that the commission had no quorum to hold a plenary and make such a weighty decision.

Saitabao ole Kanchory, Azimio presidential candidate Odinga’s chief agent, called the tally centre at Bomas of Kenya, a crime scene.

” We have intelligence reports that their (IEBC) system was penetrated and hacked and that some of the IEBC officials actually committed electoral offences and some of them ought to have been arrested if they were not arrested.”

As they protested outside the tally centre, Chebukati declared William Ruto the President Monday evening.

On the dispute, pro-UDA lawyer said Ahmednasir Abdullahi it is only IEBC chief Wafula Chebukati who has the right to announce results.

He claimed on twitter that “The four IEBC Commissioners were ordered by the OFFICE of the President to withdraw from the Bomas process under the false hope that such a withdraw will incapacitate the Commission and stop Chairman Wafula Chebukati from making the declaration on the Presidential race.”

Earlier, he tweeted “A Presidential election has A SINGLE RETURNING OFFICER…THE CHAIRMAN…OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE NO ROLE IN A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.”

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