Raila: Plans to steal 2017 elections by Jubilee underway

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga joins Governor Cyprian Awiti in a jig in Homa Bay during the second edition of Luo cultural festival on December 19, 2016. PHOTO | BARRACK ODUOR | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Odinga, speaking on Monday in Homa bay during the second edition of the Luo cultural festival, said that the opposition will remain vigilant and its MPs will block Jubilee’s move in Parliament.
  • In attendance of the official opening of the three day Tourism and Luo Cultural Festival 2016 at Homabay High School were Mr Odingas wife Ida, Governors Cyprian Awiti and Jack Ranguma, Senator Moses Kajwang', ODM Chair John Mbadi.

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee party is scheming to steal next year’s elections through illegal amendments to electoral laws, Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga has claimed.

Mr Odinga, speaking on Monday in Homa bay during the second edition of the Luo cultural festival, said that the opposition will remain vigilant and its MPs will block Jubilee’s move in Parliament.

"We want to tell them that their plans are doomed to fail. I have shared with Wanga (Homa Bay woman rep) and asked her to carry enough water to Parliament should they try to bring such changes," Mr Odinga said in an apparent reference to the woman rep’s past actions during the special session to debate the controversial security laws in 2014.

During the heated session in 2014, MPs involved in fighting, hurling abuses at each other and Ms Wanga splashed water on Deputy Speaker Joyce Laboso.

Kenyans watched live on national television as their representatives exchanged blows, tore copies of the Order Paper (the official record of the day’s transactions in Parliament) and fought for control of the mace.

And on Monday, Mr Odinga reiterated that any attempts to change electoral laws to tilt the 2017 poll outcome will be resisted.

Addressing a crowd at Kendubay show ground, Mr Odinga said: "We will not accept Jubilee's new schemes. Their plan is to stop electronic voting which is vital as it will ensure that no dead voters cast their votes."

The said that the opposition was sure of defeating Jubilee in 2017 elections and claimed that the president’s party was scheming to rig the elections to stay in power.
"If I managed to defeat Kibaki (former President) politically, who is Ruto and Uhuru?" he posed.

In attendance of the official opening of the three day Tourism and Luo Cultural Festival 2016 at Homabay High School were Mr Odingas wife Ida, Governors Cyprian Awiti and Jack Ranguma, Senator Moses Kajwang', ODM Chair John Mbadi.

Luo council of elders chairman Willis Otondi who attended the event sad: "Please let us play mature politics and avoid using youths to cause mayhem.”

"We shall walk a new path. We shall bury the hatchet. We shall give you 700,000 votes from Homa Bay County," Mr Awiti assured Mr Odinga.