Raila hopeful judges will overturn presidential poll results
What you need to know:
- Mr Odinga accused the Jubilee administration of turning to intimidation and oppression to frustrate the opposition’s efforts to push for justice.
- He charged that no amount of force would subvert the will of the people from being liberated from the yoke of Jubilee misrule.
National Super Alliance leader Raila Odinga on Sunday expressed hopes of overturning the presidential election verdict through the courts and urged his supporters to be patient.
He spoke hours before police dispersed a team of ODM MPs who wanted to hold prayers outside the Supreme Court, Nairobi, where the petition he filed challenging President Uhuru Kenyatta’s win is being heard.
Mr Odinga accused the Jubilee administration of turning to intimidation and oppression to frustrate the opposition’s efforts to push for justice.
He charged that no amount of force would subvert the will of the people from being liberated from the yoke of Jubilee misrule.
“We want to assure Kenyans that we shall get to Canaan and no force on earth will suppress the will of the people to liberate themselves from political oppression, corruption, deceit and the misrule that characterized by the government of Jubilee in the last four and half years,” the Nasa leader said.
RIVER JORDAN
Speaking after attending a church service at All Saints’ Cathedral, Nairobi, Mr Odinga said the Opposition crossed River Jordan on August 8, passed Jericho and are now heading to Jerusalem.
The politician was accompanied by his wife Ida, and Nasa co-principals Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang’ula.
Several MPs-elect including Ken Okoth (Kibra), John Mbadi (Suba South), Simba Arati (Dagoretti South), Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay Woman Rep), Moitalel ole Kenta (Narok North), Opiyo Wandayi (Ugunja) and Esther Passaris (Nairobi Woman Rep) were present.
“As you know it was never going to be an easy course to get to Canaan, but we are determined on our journey,” Mr Odinga said.
On the ongoing case, he said the Opposition is confident that justice will be done.
SYSTEMS HACKED
In the petition, Nasa alleges that the IEBC’s systems were hacked to give the incumbent President an edge over him.
After the church service, Opposition lawmakers led by Mr Mbadi, who is also the ODM chairman, tried to address their supporters outside the Supreme Court but were dispersed by police.
The Suba South lawmaker, Mr Wandayi, Ms Wanga and Mr Okoth led a handful of their supporters into holding prayers at the gates of the Supreme Court.
Although the MPs were allowed by police to kneel for about 20 minutes they were not allowed to address their supporters. After the prayers ended, they were told to leave immediately and when they insisted on speaking to the crowds they were dispersed by police on horses.
Sheikh Omar Twaha was injured in the melee after falling off a pickup truck.
PRAYERS
Mr Odinga faulted Nairobi police commander Japheth Koome rejection of Nasa’s application to hold prayers outside the court last night ahead of the start of the hearing of the main petition on Monday.
“We do not need any permission to hold prayers. The law is clear that if Kenyans want to hold something they just notify the police so that they can be provided with security and not permission. The police officer who purportedly banned our night vigil prayers clearly does not understand the law,” said the Nasa leader.
“The police don’t need to give permission, their role is to provide security after notification. We did away with Public Order Act, Chief Authority Act and these laws no longer exist in our Constitution. The constitution guarantees us freedom of speech, assembly and association and therefore Mr Koome needs to read the law,” he added.
