Opposition leader Raila Odinga has vowed not bow to domestic and international pressure to concede defeat in the August 8 polls. The Opposition leader said the National Supper Alliance (NASA) would not want accept a ‘one-minute and paragraph judgment’ on its petition against President Uhuru Kenyatta’s re-election, saying each judge must give a ruling and reasoning behind his or her verdict.
“The Supreme Court is made up of seven judges. The discretion of seven individuals, however wise, can neither represent nor substitute the voice of 15 million people,” said Raila.
Speaking in Mombasa, Raila announced the launch of a national campaign dubbed ‘truth and electoral justice’ to push for freedom, rule of law, and democracy, saying people’s power was the cure for political injustice.
“Here in Mombasa, we launch a national campaign for truth and electoral justice in Kenya to affirm our commitment to freedom, the rule of law, and democracy,” he said.
Raila urged all Kenyans to rise up against forces out to return the country to dictatorship. He told NASA supporters that to accept the poll results amounted to legitimising impunity and subversion of popular will.
“Let the agents of foreign powers exhorting us to accept and move on so that they can continue to have lackeys to do their bidding know that we will not accept inferior governance,” he said.
The NASA leader said he would accept the Supreme Court verdict on the alliance’s petition against the poll results if it includes a detailed reasoning of each of the seven Supreme Court judges. “Kenyans are still trying to understand what exactly happened in the Supreme Court in 2013 when a decision about their votes was delivered in minutes and a paragraph,” he said.
Similar sentiments were expressed by NASA co-principal Musalia Mudavadi, who said the alliance expected nothing short of a detailed Supreme Court ruling. “We do not want a two-minute judgment. We want to listen to the reasoning of each judge,” said Mudavadi.
Raila said NASA decided to go to court after State agents raided civil society groups that had planned to petition against President Uhuru Kenyatta’s re-election at the Supreme Court.
He said the Supreme Court verdict will not be final and that the alliance will mobilise Kenyans across the country to fight the culture of political impunity.
“Whichever way the court rules, the petition will not of itself cure electoral impunity. It will not bring to justice those who plotted and executed the theft of our votes,” said Raila.
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