Intensified campaigns are the order of the day as politicians seeking elective positions, led by Kenya Kwanza Alliance presidential candidate William Ruto and Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition’s Raila Odinga. The two, aspirants are hitting the ground running selling their agenda.
In other news, presidential hopefuls, Ekuru Aukot and Reuben Kigame want the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s chairperson Wafula Chebukati to resign.
Here is all you need to know of Kenya’s politics as of July 7.
Raila is protecting corrupt governors: DP Ruto
Deputy President William Ruto yesterday accused Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga of protecting corrupt governors, saying the county chiefs who were backing his bid had been “sanitised”.
Speaking during a political rally at Sololo town in Marsabit on Wednesday, Dr Ruto said Azimio had been turned into a “fumigation camp” for corrupt leaders and told off Mr Odinga for his constant attacks on the Kenya Kwanza Alliance over graft.
“I want to tell Raila, you cannot be dining with corrupt governors, you cannot be dining with those who embezzled the Covid-19 billions and continue to lecture us on corruption. You have no business to give us lectures on corruption when those you are walking around with are corrupt,” Dr Ruto said.
He added that those who were involved in stealing public funds meant to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic had sought refuge and shielded by Mr Odinga so that they could support his presidential bid, and claimed that Azimio campaigns were being financed using Sh10 billion obtained from government coffers.
The DP blamed government security agencies over rampant insecurity in Marsabit county and accused some security chiefs of pretending to address the issue by visiting the county yet they did not take measures to protect residents.
“The Cabinet Secretary (Dr Fred Matiangi) and Principal Secretary (Dr Karanja Kibicho) who should be concerned with the security of Kenyans are the ones who are busy campaigning for Raila Odinga while the Inspector General of police is incompetent,” the DP said.
He said when he takes over after August 9 polls, no residents of Marsabit would disappear mysteriously in connection to terrorist activities.
Raila, Karua tour Kiambu
Azimio la Umoja presidential candidate Raila Odinga and his running mate, Martha Karua toured Kiambu county yesterday wooing the electorates to vote for their outfit in the coming general elections.
Mr Odinga also expressed his confidence in the changing tide in Kiambu which he said would vote for the Azimio outfit significantly.
“Victory is at hand, let us all prepare to vote on August 9th,” he said.
On her part, Ms Karua said Kenya was at a delicate point in its political history with evidence showing Kenyans cannot survive another five to 10 years without a government that is truly for the people. She also promised that the Azimio government would fight corruption and ensure shared prosperity.
“The promise is alive and we are almost there. The people of Kabete, Kiambu County, have decided to see through the good fight for service delivery, accountability and sober leadership. They have pledged their vote to Azimio,” she posted on her twitter after the campaign rally.
Kigame, Aukot call for the resignation of Wafula Chebukati
Presidential elections hopefuls Reuben Kigame and Ekuru Aukot called for the resignation of electoral agency boss Wafula Chebukati even as calls for the electoral team to reopen the clearance of candidates for the country’s top seat intensified.
Mr Kigame, a renowned gospel singer, and Dr Aukot, of the Thirdway Alliance, were reacting to a ruling by the High Court that quashed the requirement by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for presidential candidates to submit copies of identity cards of supporters.
Presidential candidates are required to have at least 2,000 supporters from at least 24 of Kenya’s 47 counties.
Mr Kigame praised the court decision, which seems to have given all those who were barred from vying a political lifeline.
“Mr Chebukati is discriminating against people living with disabilities because when I presented those copies he refused to look at them. I am given the same conditions like other aspirants or candidates yet I am a person living with disability,” Mr Kigame said.
Mr Kigame, an independent presidential aspirant, said that he was ready to take part in the elections next month should he get clearance by the IEBC.
“The entire process was not fair because most of us were locked out. This ruling gives us hope and a window that we can be cleared to contest,” said Mr Kigame at a press conference in Eldoret town.
On Tuesday, the High Court quashed directives that require presidential aspirants to submit copies of identification documents of their supporters.
Justice Anthony Mrima, in a judgment that could make the presidential election a crowded race, said the regulations that required independent candidates to submit copies of identification documents of their supporters are unconstitutional.
Justice Mrima said the regulations enacted by the IEBC in 2012 and amended in 2017 contravened the Constitution and the Data Protection Act.
For his part, Dr Aukot wants Mr Chebukati to resign and for the printing of presidential ballot papers to be suspended.
Ruto, Raila intensify vote hunt in Bungoma, West Pokot counties
Deputy President William Ruto and his archrival Azimio la Umoja One Kenya presidential candidate Raila Odinga have put up a spirited effort to galvanise voters in Bungoma and West Pokot counties.
West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo’s Kenya Union Party (KUP), which supports Mr Odinga’s bid, says it was working to win the former Prime Minister a substantial number of votes. The county has 214,574 registered voters.
Speaking in Kapenguria Tuesday, Prof Lonyangapuo said the area will vote as a bloc to deliver votes on August 9.
The county, considered the last frontier of Kanu, has received a lot of interest from DP Ruto of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and is categorised a battlefront for the two presidential frontrunners.
Prof Lonyangapuo said he and others had embarked on marshalling votes and drumming up support for Mr Odinga to elbow out Dr Ruto.
Pokot South MP David Pkosing, the KUP deputy party leader, said they are fully behind the Azimio honcho in anticipation that he would clinch the presidency.
“We urge all those who did not vote for Raila Odinga in the past elections to give me their votes this time. We have talked with the former premier and agreed on crucial issues,” said Mr Pkosing.
He added: “For the first time in history, all Pokots will vote for Mr Odinga because he has touched the right buttons that ought to be touched.”
Meanwhile, Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula has said Kenya Kwanza leaders from Western had started vigorous grassroots mobilisation to deliver over 70 percent of votes in that region that they promised DP Ruto.
“When he (Raila Odinga) kicked me out of the Senate minority leader’s office, I told them it will be ‘messy, noisy and it will have casualties’. Now Raila cannot step into Bungoma. He has no votes. Kenya Kwanza is supported by over 87 percent of Bungoma residents. Raila is the first casualty.” he said.
Azimio alleges Wetangula link to Greek firm printing election ballot papers
Raila Odinga’s Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition kicked up a storm over what it claimed was ‘interference” in the printing of this year’s General Election ballot papers by a close ally of Deputy President William Ruto, whom it accused of frolicking with a group of Greek businessmen awarded the ballots tender in October last year.
The Odinga camp claimed that Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula in January last year invited the three Greeks to Kenya to discuss “investment opportunities”, and that nine months later, in October the same year, the same individuals landed the lucrative tender from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) through their company, Inform Lykos (Hellas) SA Holdings.
Documents show the Greek company was in October 2021 awarded a Sh3 billion contract by IEBC to supply and deliver ballot papers, a printed register of voters, statutory election result declaration forms and election result declaration forms. All the materials, the Nation understands, are to be used in this year’s General Election.
Yesterday the Azimio coalition party, through secretary-general Junet Mohamed, demanded that IEBC in conjunction with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) “immediately commence full and thorough investigations” on Senator Wetang’ula’s relationship with Inform Lykos (Hellas) SA, and that “immediate action be taken to protect the General Election from interference through the surreptitious introduction of electoral materials or other unlawful means”.
Mr Mohamed, who is also the Suna East MP, added in the demand note that IEBC should immediately make public any information regarding the measures the commission has put in place “to ensure there are no lapses, both logistical and security, in the provision of electoral materials for the General Election”.
Mr Wetang’ula has denied the allegations, saying the letters did not originate from him, and neither did her have knowledge of the person he is said to have sent to Greece on his behalf.
Sakaja, Sifuna, Passaris lead in Nairobi, new poll shows
If elections were held today, Mr Johnson Sakaja, Mr Edwin Sifuna, Ms Esther Passaris will be elected as Nairobi governor, senator, and woman representative respectively, a new opinion poll showed yesterday.
The poll by Infotrak Research and Consulting showed Mr Sakaja would lead in the governor race with 39 per cent, followed closely by Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition candidate Polycarp Igathe, who polled 33 per cent.
There is still a high number of undecided voters at 24 per cent. This means wherever they cast their lot, will see of either Mr Sakaja or Mr Igathe win with a clear margin. Nairobi County has 2,415,310 registered voters.
In the Senate race, Mr Sifuna, the Orange Democratic Movement secretary-general, leads in the poll with 44 per cent and United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Margaret Wanjiru has 12 per cent. A staggering 39 per cent are still undecided, while five per cent refused to answer.
In the Woman Rep race, Ms Passaris, the ODM candidate, leads with 46 per cent, while UDA’s Millicent Omanga has 20 per cent.
Another 20 per cent are undecided, while five per cent did not answer.
The poll was conducted on July 2 and 3 using computer-assisted telephone interviews. It sampled 1,024 people in the 17 constituencies and 85 wards of Nairobi County and has a 95 per cent degree of confidence with a +-3 per cent margin of error.
In the poll, 73 per cent of those polled think the country is headed in the wrong direction due to the high cost of living.
Others mentioned unemployment, bad politics, increased crime, rampant corruption in the country at the national and county level, and private firms. BY DAILY NATION