Published on : 19/07/2022 – 03:31
Three weeks before the presidential election in Kenya, one of the main candidates Raila Odinga spoke to the international press in Nairobi on Monday 18 July. Although supported by outgoing head of state Uhuru Kenyatta, this former opponent denies being the candidate of continuity and urges the electoral commission to guarantee the transparency and fairness of the ballot.
With our correspondent in Nairobi, Florence Morice
By agreeing to form an alliance with the current head of state Uhuru Kenyatta for this presidential election, Raila Odinga, formerly considered the eternal opponentbecame the candidate of the ” establishment “, or a puppet of the camp in power, as his opponents accuse him of? He defends himself:
« Nothing might be further from the truth. Kenyans know that I am an independent person, a man of conscience, with very strong convictions, and therefore cannot be anyone’s stooge or candidate. »
Present at his side his running mate Martha Karua, also swept aside the accusations that their campaign would be partly financed by the outgoing power: “ We organized a fundraiser “, she assured.
Regarding the risk of violent contestation of the results, Raila Odinga asks the electoral commission to redouble its transparency to ensure a fair vote and earn the trust of Kenyans. This is because the electoral commission has been widely criticized for its lack of preparation for its elections.
« If people see that the process is free and fair, I’m sure there will be no fear of post-election violence. As candidates, if we lose in a fair ballot, then I will accept the result and congratulate the winner. And I invite my competitors to do the same. »
Kenyans are, in principle, people of peace. The challenge lies in the ability of the electoral commission to ensure that the electoral process is free and fair. This is why we have urged the IEBC, the electoral commission, to be transparent in all that it does, to engender the confidence of Kenyans in this process. If we see that the process is free and fair, I am absolutely certain that following the polls are taken and the results are announced, there is no fear of an eruption of violence, and I am sure that the people will accept the results.
According to Raila Odinga, if the Kenyan presidential election “is free and fair”, “an eruption of violence is not to be feared”
Faced with the economic crisis and inflation which are hitting Kenya hard, themes at the heart of the campaign, Raila Odinga asks his compatriots to ” be patient “. He also promises to actively fight once morest corruption, which is endemic in Kenya.
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