IEBC clears Raila Odinga to run to presidency

Opposition leader Raila Odinga has been cleared by the electoral agency to vie for the Presidency on August 8.

Mr Odinga and his running mate, Kalonzo Musyoka, presented his paper to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Sunday at Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).

The National Super Alliance (Nasa) leaders had earlier attended church service at All Saints Cathedral.

It is an apparent search for divine intervention ahead of an election Mr Odinga will be seeking to be Kenya’s president, for the last time.

The leaders; Mr Odinga, his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka, Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto, ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi and Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula all attended the service led by Anglican Church of Kenya Provost Sammy Wainaina.

The five leaders who seek to unseat the Jubilee administration in the August 8 elections will then walk towards KICC where Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka's papers will be checked by IEBC team led by Chairman Wafula Chebukati.

The choice of the Cathedral, an iconic structure built in the early 20th century, is symbolic because the Church is celebrating 100 years of the Cathedral.

Rev Wainaina, before the service, circulated a bulletin to his congregation in which he called for a "proactive" government in dealing with national challenges.

"Corruption has been with us since the inception of our nation; subsequent governments have not been able to slay this economic dragon. We must change the narrative for a better tomorrow," he argued in the dispatch.

The cleric spoke widely on economic issues, praising efforts by the national government to improve on living standards through infrastructure development.

"As we embolden the government to spread wide its plan to build Kenya and fast track her economic development, it is worth noting the need for the same government to be proactive rather than reactionary in addressing basic needs of her citizens.

"The recent unga debacle could have been avoided if necessary government institutions were proactive.

"The infrastructural developments are good but so long as the common Kenyan cannot meet the basic needs of housing, food, education and health, our priorities are misplaced," he said.

Erected in 1917, the imposing building along Kenyatta Avenue is made up of concrete walls but has been modified to suit modern times with the installation of TV screens, audio amplifiers and lighting.