Deputy President William Samoei Ruto has chastised Raila Odinga, the head of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), for what he calls the Azimio La Umoja presidential aspirant’s refusal to acknowledge loss if he loses in the August 9 polls.
In a statement released by Hussein Mohammed, the Director of Communications at the William Samoei Ruto Presidential Campaign Secretariat, the Deputy President claims Raila has reverted to his old ways, rejecting election results despite the fact that the process was free and fair.
For the third time, Ruto has requested the former Prime Minister to publicly pledge to unreservedly accepting the results of the presidential election.
Hussein Mohammed made the statement in reaction to Raila Odinga’s Chatham House, UK talk, in which the former Premier declared that he was willing to accept the results as long as the electoral process is free, fair, and free of manipulation and disruption.
Raila’s statement did not sit well with Ruto, who argued that aspirants’ subjective opinions should not be utilized to accept or reject the August vote.
“Hon Odinga imposed oblique conditions on his acceptance of the people’s will. He was certain that he will accept the outcome only “IF” the election is free and fair, and he wins or loses,” according to the DP’s statement.
“As long as it’s free and fair,” he said again. Any candidate’s subjective judgment of the outcomes does not and cannot indicate the fairness or lack thereof in an election.”
The country’s second-in-command went on to say that only the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) can decide the legality of an election, and that if a dispute arises, the court will listen to and settle it.
“Kenya has institutions to determine the election’s legality,” the statement continued.
Raila challenged the results of the presidential elections in March 2013 and August 2017, claiming outside involvement by people not affiliated with the IEBC. He went to the Supreme Court and filed petitions. The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice (Rtd) David Kenani Maraga, invalidated the poll in 2017 due to what it described as a faulty procedure.
The ODM leader, on the other hand, boycotted the rerun election in October of the same year, handing President Uhuru Kenyatta a resounding victory with almost 98.5 percent of the vote cast.
Ruto now claims Raila is reverting to “his old methods” and intends to hold the country hostage if he loses.
“We have heard remarks implying that if there had been no “Handshake,” he (Raila) would have continued to hold our beloved country hostage and made peaceful progress impossible, despite his boycotting the repeat presidential elections and swearing himself in as president,” Hussein added in his statement.
Ruto, for one, has declared that he will accept the election results unconditionally, and now expects his opponents to do the same.
“There are no ‘BUTs’ or ‘IFs.'” Kenyans should be given this assurance and commitment, and the rule of law must always prevail.”
Ruto and Raila will compete in one of Kenya’s most contested elections since independence in August. It will be the first election in which the two erstwhile allies in the Orange Democratic Movement would face off.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has backed Raila, who had a falling out with his deputy after gaining re-election in 2018. Insiders believe the President and his deputy have such acrimonious differences that they can not see eye to eye.
