As Kenya’s presidential re-election draws closer, tensions raise in the country over who is going to win this time’s election, which is proved beyond reasonable doubt by the electoral commission to will be free and fair.
The repeat polls however, as organized and announced by the commission earlier on after Raila Odinga won during his petition, is to see only Raila Odinga and the incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta participate.
Uhuru Kenyatta, the incumbent, is strongly participating in his campaigns fully and as well helped by his wife, the First Lady Margaret Kenyatta, while his opponent, Raila Odinga counsels out some of his campaigns.
Saturday, October 7, Raila Odinga is reported to have cancelled two of his campaign rallies that he was scheduled to hold at the coast.
Just a few hours later, his travel report was released that Odinga is going to be out of the country, at this point in time when he has to be seeking his supporters for votes come 26 October, to see him into the presidential office.
Dennis Onyango, Raila’s spokesman was however quoted saying that Raila is supposed to go to the United Kingdom (UK) in a name of delivering a lecture.
“He is travelling to the UK. He is supposed to deliver a lecture at Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs in the UK,” Dennis, Raila’s spokesman informed.
Nevertheless, sources have explained that this is a move taken by Raila to prove the truth in his words, and to exercise the fact that he meant business.
Raila Odinga after winning the petition he held in the Supreme Court against Uhuru Kenyatta having been helped by the IEBC to win the elections, the electoral commission set another date which is 26 October, for the repeat polls.
However, Mr. Odinga promised not to participate, until his demands are reached and fulfilled.
The NASA presidential candidate demanded the resignation of the top IEBC officials among others, which he hasn’t seen happening.
Therefore, with his demands not yet met, Mr. Odinga might be anticipating on not participating in the repeat polls, expressed by his unexplained cancelling of rallies and flying gout of the country, at almost the eleventh hour.
Earlier on, on Sunday 8, Raila Odinga has been reported saying that Uhuru Kenyatta was slowly turning into a dictator, and so addressed him as a ‘despot’
Reporter: Shamilah Namuddu
