Raila calls for demonstrations to stop presidential elections

By Jeff Mwaura, jeff@alleastafrica.com

NAIROBI –  Opposition leader Raila Odinga has called on his supporters countrywide to hold demonstrations on Tuesday and Wednesday to stop the repeat presidential election from taking place on Thursday.

Odinga also claimed that a batch of ballot papers have already been printed by a local firm and distributed to favour his rival Jubilee Party.

“We cannot go to the poll again when things have not been properly rectified. Already the rigging plot is in place. We know that votes have already been printed and have been distributed. We are not fools,” Odinga was quoted by the Daily Nation.

Odinga, who was on Sunday addressing rallies in Trans Nzoia County insisted that the Nasa coalition will not participate in the October 26 election whose outcome, he said, has already been decided in favour Jubilee Party’s Uhuru Kenyatta.

He said the ballot papers were printed secretly in Nairobi by a private company and that he has evidence to show Kenyans.

 “We have evidence to show Kenyans that what is going to take place on Thursday in the name of an election is a total sham. The outcome is already decided,” he was quoted by the Daily Nation.

IEBC has begun dispatching ballot papers to various polling stations across the country.

The first batch destined for 10 counties farthest from Nairobi and the diaspora landed in Nairobi on Saturday night.

Two other consignments are expected to arrive on Monday and Tuesday.

After the church service, Mr Odinga addressed hundreds of his supporters at Kiminini centre and urged IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati ‘to be man enough’ and not oversee the repeat poll.

Mr Odinga said the protests will resume Tuesday and Wednesday and he urged his supporters to come out for demonstrations where he will make a major announcement.

“We will protest on Tuesday and Wednesday and on Thursday there will be no election,” he said.