Raila Odinga’s creation of a political crisis in the run up to October 26 repeat polls is a strategy to allow him contest in 2022, says Deputy President William Ruto.
“In my honest opinion, Odinga is running away from humiliating defeat. He has to come up with excuses to justify his move. It is also a strategy because he wants to run again in 2022,” said the DP Tuesday in a statement to Foreign Correspondents of East Africa at his Karen office in Nairobi.
He added Raila is in fear of losing the October 26 polls because even his staunch supporters have lost hope in him.
“Odinga is running away because he can’t change the numbers and he knows that he can’t win the October 26 election.”
Ruto said opposition is yet to make s firm decision on whether they are in the poll or not despite issuing a public statement of withdrawal from the race.
He said NASA’s continued demands on the IEBC speak otherwise.
“It seems NASA has not decided whether they are in the presidential race or not. If they have withdrawn, why are they giving conditions on how the elections should be held,” asked the DP.
But, said the DP, Jubilee is committed to having the repeat polls.
He also said despite efforts by the Raila Led opposition outfit to create political crisis, Kenya is stable and its citizens will have the final say in who their leader will be.
“The Opposition leaders have manufactured and created a crisis because they can’t ask legitimate Kenyans for their votes and are now creating chaotic situations to pave way for political solutions at the expense of democracy.
“They are doing whatever they can to create a situation, including making the country ungovernable, to achieve their political ends outside the constitution,” opined the DP.
Commenting on NASA’s irreducible minimums for the IEBC he said: “We have no problem with IEBC agreeing with our competitors on the minimum conditions or irreducible minimums.
“They can agree on a new supplier of ballot papers, issues of technology, sacking of [IEBC CEO Ezra] Chiloba…so long as it is within the constitution and Supreme Court ruling that elections be held in 60 days.”