Now Aukot ready to face seven rivals
Thirdway Alliance Kenya presidential candidate Ekuru Aukot addresses the press at a city hotel on October 14, 2017 on the recent High Court ruling which allowed the inclusion of all August 8 presidential candidates to take part in repeat poll set for October 26. PHOTO | FRANCIS NDERITU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
Dr Aukot also dropped his demands for widespread reforms at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), including the resignation of chairman Wafula Chebukati, before the repeat poll.
He asked the commission to share with the public the measures it had taken to right the wrongs.
In a lengthy statement issued on Saturday, Dr Aukot described his candidature as the “only alternative change Kenya needs now”.
Thirdway Alliance Kenya presidential candidate Ekuru Aukot on Saturday dropped his opposition to the inclusion of all the eight contenders in the October 26 repeat election.
Dr Aukot, at the same time, played down the “no election” threat by National Super Alliance leader Raila Odinga, who dramatically pulled out of the race on Wednesday and demanded a new election 90 days after fresh nominations.
“The fresh election cannot be predicated on the decision of one candidate. If one candidate chooses to withdraw, Kenya cannot come to a standstill,” Dr Aukot told journalists in Nairobi following repeated comments by Mr Odinga that there would be no election after his withdrawal.
“Politicians in this country have a false sense of self-entitlement that the country cannot continue if they are not there.”
APPEAL
After Dr Aukot’s latest move on the inclusion of other contenders and the gazettement of five other candidates besides President Uhuru Kenyatta and Mr Odinga, the only thing that stands between the seven contestants and the poll is an appeal by a voter challenging a High Court ruling allowing the eight to battle it out on October 26.
The Narok voter who has gone to court is seeking a fresh poll 90 days after nominations following Mr Odinga’s withdrawal.
In a lengthy statement issued on Saturday, Dr Aukot described his candidature as the “only alternative change Kenya needs now”.
“Kenya has no shortage of leaders,” he said. He asked Kenyans to vote for him, describing himself as a man who would empathise with them on the deteriorating health sector and uphold the rule of law.
DROPPED DEMANDS
He said he would steer the recovery of the economy, which he said was “in the intensive care unit”.
Dr Aukot also dropped his demands for widespread reforms at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), including the resignation of chairman Wafula Chebukati, before the repeat poll.
“After our meeting with the IEBC on Friday, we are somewhat convinced that the commission had addressed some of the issues pointed out by the Supreme Court as the illegalities and irregularities in the August 8 elections,” said Dr Aukot.
He asked the commission to share with the public the measures it had taken to right the wrongs.
FORM 24A
At the same time, Alliance for Real Change presidential candidate Abduba Dida played down Mr Odinga’s withdrawal, saying he deliberately chose not to fill the statutory form 24A.
“Raila is clever. He said he was not going for the presidential debate, but he went. Now he says he has withdrawn, but does not fill the form. He is just testing the waters. If he wants to withdraw, let him fill the form,” Mr Dida said in an interview.
Independent candidate Japheth Kaluyu and his running mate Muthiora Kariara have also said they will be part of the fresh poll.
Prof Michael Wainaina, who ran as an independent and had backed President Kenyatta’s response to the Supreme Court petition, has written to the IEBC, asking to be included in the poll.
Also gazetted for the fresh poll is independent candidate Joseph Nyagah.
