Pressure from the international community and sharp differences in opinion in NASA led to Raila Odinga’s about turn in contesting election results at the Supreme Court.
The European Union, United Kingdom and United states told him to either concede or head to the court and contest results.
“There were several direct and indirect meetings with the Ambassadors of the UK, the US and the European Union,” an insider within NASA said as quoted by Daily Nation.
Raila held a six-hour meeting with representatives from UK, US and EU.
The UK and the US tried to push him hard to concede defeat but he remained adamant.
He expressed his distaste with the observer missions for being in a rush to give IEBC a clean bill of health in light of “glaring anomalies witnessed in transmission of results.”
Also “Mr. Odinga was particularly angry with the stance adopted by observers, which suggested that elections were just about announcing the winner,” adds the source.
“It was like he was being condemned for losing even when the infamy of result transmission was unfolding before everybody’s eyes.”
Within NASA, Raila, Siaya Senator-elect James Orengo and Johnstone Muthama were of street protest.
But NASA principals Kalonzo Musyoka, Isaac Ruto and Moses Wetangula did not agree with this.
“The three [Raila, Orengo and Muthama] insisted that the Supreme Court legitimized a dirty election in 2013 and they saw nothing different this time round.”
Earlier, Raila had said he will not challenge the election results in court.
However, on Wednesday in an address to the country, he said he has “compelling evidence” which he will use to make his case in court.
His technical team largely contributed to his change of heart after a proper review of form 34As and 34Bs.
“Initially, we were opposed to the legal process but our confidence levels rose when we came face to face with the glaring mess in the forms,” further discloses the source.
By Pharis Kinyua: He’s an online Journalist and an author for Jamhuri News.