Uhuru accuses his rivals of using ICC case to weaken his campaign

• TNA leader claims competitors using post-poll chaos cases to marshal support for their State House bids, and vows to soldier on

Presidential aspirant Uhuru Kenyatta maintains that he will vie for presidency despite the case awaiting him at the International Criminal Court.

The National Alliance party leader on Friday accused those criticising his bid of using ICC cases to marshal support for their bids.

“I am ready to accept Kenyans’ decision but I will not allow people to use the case to bring me down. We know people with legitimate cases to answer and they should also step aside,” he said at the proposed African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa Theology School at Kamulu.

He was addressing church members during the closure of a three-day conference that brought together over 3,000 women.

Mr Kenyatta said that Kenyans would have the final say on who will vie for the top seat.

“It is not for foreigners nor the courts to decide who should vie for presidency but for the over 40 million Kenyans,” he said.

Elsewhere, Restore and Build Kenya party presidential aspirant James ole Kiyiapi on Friday warned the Cabinet against watering down the Integrity Bill to allow those facing criminal charges to run for elective posts.

“I have read the Bill but clearly, the final version is not as strong as the draft was, and you can tell that in making changes, they were up to some mischief,” he said when he took his campaign to Kisumu.

He cautioned the Cabinet and Parliament against making laws with certain individuals in mind, saying such laws were meant to serve future generations.

“When you want to make laws with an intention to accommodate so and so or fix so and so, then we have lost the reform war like yesterday,” he said.

The former Education permanent secretary, who met teachers at Lions High School, pledged to improve their terms of service if he won the presidency.

He at the same time accused some of his competitors of building tribal alliances. Such alliances, he said, were aimed at winning the polls and would offer nothing afterwards.

“This is not what nationalists do. Nationalists outline a clear vision for their people in seeking to be elected to public offices,” he said.

He may have been referring to a political pact that was recently signed by Mr Kenyatta, Mr Kiraitu Murungi of The Alliance Party, Mr Raphael Tuju of Party of Action and Mr Eugene Wamalwa of New Ford-Kenya.

Prof Kiyiapi challenged aspirants to enter into direct alliances with voters.