Nasa to rally Kenyans against fresh election

Nasa is set to hold a rally in Nairobi on Sunday in its campaign against a repeat presidential election scheduled for October 17.

The event, to be addressed by the four Nasa principals, will be used to rally Kenyans against the repeat election until its “irreducible minimum” demands are met.

VOTING

The coalition, led by its presidential candidate Raila Odinga, his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka, chief campaigner Musalia Mudavadi and Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula, has given the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) conditions it should meet before a fresh poll is held.

“We will tell Kenyans exactly why they should not allow the election to be held.

"We have made it clear that we are not boycotting the election, but we will not let that election happen unless and until our irreducible minimums are met,” Mr Mudavadi’s spokesman Kibisu Kabatesi said of the rally to be held at Jacaranda grounds in Embakasi.

“We are talking to Kenyans to make the elections not happen by ensuring that no voting takes place unless our demands to create a level playing ground are met,” he added.

INFIGHTING
Nasa’s remarks come despite assurances by the electoral agency that it is prepared for the poll.

Speaking on Thursday, commission chairman Wafula Chebukati maintained that while they are willing to meet Nasa and listen to their grievances, preparations for the election were on course.

On Friday, Nasa published in local dailies a full-page advertisement listing what they termed as their “irreducible minimums” before the fresh poll could be held.

Nasa told the Saturday Nation that the commission as currently constituted is too divided to conduct the election.

“Chebukati may be putting on a brave face but we all know he has been isolated.

"His efforts to reform the IEBC before the October 17 election have been thwarted,” Mr Kabatesi said, referring to widely publicised divisions between the IEBC chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ezra Chiloba.

KIEMS KITS
Nasa also appeared emboldened by recommendations put forward by the European Union Observer Mission in its interim statement released on Thursday, demanding among other things the prosecution of senior IEBC officials found responsible for bungling the election and the improvement of its technology before the fresh poll.

Saturday Nation separately learnt from confidential sources that the company picked to supply the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System kits, Morpho, was developing cold feet following a letter by Nasa to the French government that it investigates the firm with a view to prosecuting its officials on the bungled election.

PROBE

“IEBC is in jitters because it has been told by Morpho that it cannot be ready with the technological infrastructure, the kits, by October 17.

"We, however, suspect that is not the real reason,” sources said.

“The real reason lies in the letter Nasa wrote to the French government asking it to investigate the company. We suspect Morpho want a way out and this is their exit strategy.”

In the letter dated September 7, Nasa accuses the French firm of conniving with top IEBC officials to bungle the election.