'We cannot boycott the elections,' Raila says as he cautions IEBC
Azimio la Umoja One
Kenya Alliance Presidential candidate Raila Odinga has dismissed claims that he
will boycott the August 9 General Election if the Independent Electoral and
Boundaries Commission (IEBC) fails to adopt both the manual and electronic voter
register.
This comes after
Odinga, during a rally in Githurai on Wednesday, insinuated that he had
received reliable information linking IEBC boss Wafula Chebukati and his team
to an apparent plot to print excess pre-marked ballot papers in a neighbouring
country and sneak them into the country on election day, hence the electoral
body's alleged reluctance to use the manual register.
Speaking in
Kirinyaga County on Thursday when he took his campaigns to the region, Odinga
insisted that he cannot and shall not boycott the upcoming polls, exuding
confidence that he would emerge winner.
"We shall not
and cannot boycott the elections. We are not cowards. But we want to tell the
IEBC don't dare steal the elections... Martha and Raila will take part in the
elections and we shall win," said Odinga.
According
to Odinga, he only made the utterances on Wednesday to deter any unscrupulous
IEBC officials with ulterior motives from influencing the results of the
presidential election.
"Mtu mwingine
aliandika ati nilisema sisi tutasusia, ati we shall boycott elections, siwezi
boycott elections. Na boycott elections namna gani na tunashinda. Mimi nilikuwa naonya hao watu wasithubutu kujaribu kuiba.
Sisi ni washindi hatuwezi kugoma maanake tunashinda mbali sana," he said.
To further drive
his point home, Odinga flaunted that he has a massive following in all parts of
the country noting that this sets him apart from his presidential rivals.
"Ukienda pande
ya western ni Azimio tupu, pwani, nyanza, north eastern, rift valley, eastern,
central na mlima pia. Watapata kura wapi ya kutushinda? hawawezi
tushinda," he said.
The Azimio chief
was flanked by his running mate Martha Karua, local leaders and senior
government representatives.
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