I am ready for Raila oath-taking plan, says Kalonzo Musyoka
What you need to know:
Mr Musyoka described the Jubilee Party’s August 8 victory, which was annulled by the Supreme Court, and the repeat poll on October 26 as “State capture” and called for dialogue to address electoral injustices.
The plans to swear in the top two Nasa leaders was mooted in Mr Musyoka’s absence after the opposition coalition formed a wing dubbed the National Resistance Movement.
The National Super Alliance’s plans to swear in opposition leader Raila Odinga early next year received a huge boost on Thursday after his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka said they will take the oath together.
The decision by Mr Musyoka, who made his first public engagement Thursday after a 10-week stay in Germany, signals the escalation of political tensions into the New Year as the opposition chiefs stick to their guns that they won the August election.
Mr Musyoka described the Jubilee Party’s August 8 victory, which was annulled by the Supreme Court, and the repeat poll on October 26 as “State capture” and called for dialogue to address electoral injustices.
“The truth is that the August elections were stolen and the country is deeply divided. Kenyans cannot, therefore, be expected to move on when ethnic hatred and political intolerance are at their worst. I am telling my brother Uhuru Kenyatta that if he abdicates the responsibility of uniting this nation, he should not blame Raila and Kalonzo when we say we will be sworn in. If he doesn’t want to dialogue on electoral reforms then we will be sworn in,” he said.
SWEAR IN
Mr Musyoka, who was Mr Odinga’s running mate in the August presidential election, left the country on October 11 to be with his ailing wife in Germany, where she has been receiving treatment and has missed key political events, including the October 26 repeat election, which his coalition boycotted.
The couple arrived back in the country on Wednesday night.
The plans to swear in the top two Nasa leaders was mooted in Mr Musyoka’s absence after the opposition coalition formed a wing dubbed the National Resistance Movement, soon after Mr Kenyatta was declared winner in the repeat presidential poll.
The Wiper party leader said had been in constant touch with his Nasa co-principals Odinga, Musalia Mudavadi of Amani National Congress and Moses Wetang’ula of Ford Kenya, during his stay abroad and that he had agreed with them that Jubilee was in office illegitimately.
SUPREME COURT
“Uhuru was given the instruments of power by the Supreme Court and he also knows the gerrymandering and intimidation that accompanied the process, but in terms of legitimacy, this was State capture” he said in Kyondoni village, Kitui County, when he visited the family of former Kitui West MP Francis Nyenze, who was buried last week.
Mr Musyoka said he had been following the debate among Kenyans regarding the issues affecting the country through the media and he had come to the conclusion that most Kenyans are aggrieved and disillusioned by the events of the last elections.
“You voted for us on August 8th and we won the election. It is clear from the Independent and Electoral Boundaries Commission computer servers that we won the election but our competitors are using all means, including intimidation of the Judiciary, to cling onto power” he said.
