ODM accuses Jubilee of intimidating Judiciary

ODM Chairperson John Mbadi (centre) addressing journalists at Orange House on August 22, 2017. He is flanked by newly elected ODM MPs and senators. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP.

What you need to know:

  • Leaders within the Jubilee Party dismissed the petition describing it as weak and inconsistent.
  • Mr Mbadi said the pronouncements by leaders was aimed at intimidating the Judiciary.

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has accused senior politicians from the Jubilee Party of prosecuting the Presidential Petition filed by Mr Raila Odinga through the social media noting that the move is an attempt to intimidate the Judiciary.

MPs elected on the party’s ticket in the just concluded General Election further warned the media to tread carefully and stop publishing stories that suggest the petition filed by Mr Odinga on Friday is weak and cannot withstand the legal test.

“The Jubilee leadership has gone ahead to purport to poke holes in the case even before the pretrial as prove of how weak the case is. This is an attempt to intimidate the Judiciary into throwing away the case,” Mr John Mbadi, the ODM chairman said.

INTIMIDATE

He added: “We ask Jubilee Party to set our courts free and stop intimidation of judges. But we also remind Jubilee that the battle is far from over. They can intimidate the courts but they cannot succeed in intimidating the people.”

Mr Mbadi was speaking on Tuesday during a press conference at the party headquarters where he rejected calls to accept the outcome of the presidential vote and insisted they will not move on.

Others at the press conference were MPs-elect Ledama ole Kina (Senator, Narok), Mr Jared Okello (Nyando), Mr Sam Atandi (Alego Usonga), Mr Caleb Amisi (Saboti).

Over the weekend, leaders within the Jubilee Party dismissed the petition describing it as weak, inconsistent and incapable of overturning President Uhuru Kenyatta's election.

Led by Senator from Tharaka Nithi Kithure Kindiki, the leaders said despite filing volumes of paper work in court, the National Super Alliance (Nasa) has not made a serious case that can lead to the nullification of the elections.

WEAKEST PETITION

"I have gone through that petition, paragraph by paragraph, sentence by sentence and word for word from last evening, and as a lawyer, I am shocked. This is the weakest petition I have come across filed in any court across the world, trying to contest the election of a president," Kindiki said.

Elgeyo Marakwet counterpart Kipchumba Murkomen termed the petition as a fishing expedition.

On Tuesday, Mr Mbadi said the pronouncements by leaders was aimed at intimidating the Judiciary and asked the court to determine the case based on evidence that will be presented as the petition was properly filed before the court.

“Jubilee is trying to use shock and awe tactics to panel beat the country into silence and reduce voters into mere bystanders in a struggle that is truly theirs,” Mr Mbadi said.

MEDIA

Mr ole Kina asked Jubilee party politicians to be sober up and let institutions do their work.

“The only way to leave Kenya a better place is to let institutions do their work,” he said, while condemning the media of prejudging the petition by claiming that the Supreme Court had already poked holes in the petition.

Mr Okello said Nasa’s fears are not unfounded and warning that the party will not renege on its quest to overturn President Kenyatta victory.

“The fair thing to do is for the country to await the decision of the seven judges because I believe they have what it takes to make a decision on this matter,” he said.

The party members will assemble at Orange House on Thursday to pray for justice and what Mr Mbadi said is an end to the culture of electoral theft.

He also asked their supporters all over the country to assemble and offer prayers for justice wherever they are.