Nasa makes drastic changes on anti-IEBC demos

juma chrispinus

October 11, 2017 1:15 PM

Hours after his withdrawal from the race to State House, Nasa leader Raila Odinga has opted to change his schedule on demos.

Hours after his withdrawal from the race to State House, Nasa leader Raila Odinga has opted to change the approach to the anti-IEBC demonstrations.

Mr Odinga has told his hundreds of supporters at Uhuru Park rally in Nairobi that he will be leading demonstrations against the IEBC on a daily basis, throughout the week.

READ: The only hope for Uhuru after Raila's withdrawal

Beginning next week, Mr Odinga has said, the demonstrations will shift from a three-day affair to a seven-day-a-week affair, even after the IEBC opted to meet some of the tough conditions Nasa coalition had made earlier.

The new change of Schedule by Mr Odinga comes hours after his official withdrawal from the race to State House, a decision that has caused ripples across the political divide.

On the Jubilee camp, however, numerous lawmakers have demanded the swearing in of President Uhuru Kenyatta for his second term, a move many political analysts and legal experts warn that it is not anchored in any law.

Mr Odinga also went on the streets to protest the passage of the controversial elections laws, terming it a calculated move to “rig in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s second term in office."

On Wednesday, during a live radio in interview with a local station, Mr Odinga revealed that already extra ballot papers have been printed along Mombasa road, and that the tallying will be done at undisclosed location in Nairobi’s Karen estate to rig in Mr Kenyatta.

The international community has also criticised Mr Kenyatta’s move to amend the laws, just days to the repeat polls.

Mr Odinga, however, received a major blow Wednesday morning after a Milimani High Court in Nairobi ruled to allow another presidential candidate – Dr Ekuru Aukot - on the ballot. IEBC has however, appealed the decision, seeking to strike out Dr Aukot from the ballot.

It is, however, not clear what the polls team, IEBC, will announce after the new developments.

Widespread demos

On Wednesday, Mr Odinga led the anti-IEBC demonstrators on the streets of Nairobi to push for reforms at the commission.

Other key leaders who joined the fray included Mombasa Governors Mr Ali Hassan Joho, senior counsel and Siaya County Senator Mr James Orengo, former Machakos Senator Mr Johnstone Muthama and Homa Bay County Representative Mrs Gladys Wanga. Several other leaders also attended the rally.

Mr Odinga on Tuesday while addressing the media with a withdrawal message, he maintained that the decision to quit the race was for him to retreat and rigorously push for reforms at the Wafula Chebukati led commission.

Meanwhile, IEBC has written to the Nasa team, conceding to key issues the coalition had raised, as “irreducible minimums” before the coalition could participate in the repeat polls. Mr Chiloba, whom Mr Odinga wanted out, was not sacked by the IEBC, but Mr Odinga was allowed access to servers used in the August 8 polls.

Nasa makes drastic changes on anti-IEBC demos

juma chrispinus