Raila asked to record statement over rigging claim

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery has asked Cord leader Raila Odinga to record a statement with police concerning his claims that the government intends to use the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to rig the August elections.

Speaking in Narok on Wednesday, Mr Nkaissery said that the claims made by Mr Odinga threatens the country’s stability and that they should be investigated and cleared.

“If there is any truth in it, they should come forward and record a statement and tell us precisely what they know about it, because we want this country to remain stable. We want free, fair and credible elections,” Mr Nkaissery said.

He spoke two days after Mr Odinga claimed the Jubilee administration was using the NIS to interfere with the ongoing mass voter registration exercise with an intention of influencing the polls.

According to Mr Odinga, the opposition has evidence that Ugandans and Ethiopians are being registered as voters and government has enlisted the security agency to rig the August 8 General Election.

The CS who held a meeting with administration officers in Narok denied the allegations and told the opposition to ‘stop politicising the country’s security.’

He rebuked administrators sympathetic of the opposition that they have no business being in government.

“If you want to participate in politics do it in your own house and don’t do it while on the line of duty, or we will kick you out without any benefits,” he threatened.
“Be impartial and you must help the government register many voters as possible,” he stated.

He asked the local administrators to champion the voter registration exercise arguing that 117,000 people in the region have IDs but have never registered as voters.

“We have information that these people have been going round with their IDs but they have never registered as voters and chiefs must follow them to do so,” said the CS who spoke at Members Club in Narok.

He said members of the provincial administration should be on the frontline in the issuance of uncollected national identification cards and the registration of voters countrywide.

"The government is providing you with transport and airtime yet you are sitting there idle and not helping in the registration of voters,” he added.