Kenya: What Odinga Stated After Election Outcomes Announcement

Good Afternoon,

As we speak I need to handle my fellow Kenyans and the worldwide neighborhood concerning the 2022 Kenya elections and the position of the Unbiased Election and Boundaries Fee (IEBC), the physique mandated by the Structure and the legislation to conduct and handle elections.

On August 9, 2022, hundreds of thousands of Kenyans turned out in massive numbers in an try to decide on their leaders on the nationwide, county, and native ranges after lengthy and usually peaceable campaigns. However yesterday August 15, our budding democracy suffered a serious setback. In consequence, Kenya faces a grave authorized and political disaster on account of the actions of Mr. Wafula Chebukati, the Chairperson of the IEBC.

The Structure and our legal guidelines are clear about how the IEBC ought to conduct its enterprise. There isn’t a extra essential position for the IEBC than the conduct, transmission, and tallying of the presidential election. We’re painfully conscious of previous political biases by the IEBC that plunged this nation into its darkest chapter. The horrible reminiscences of the aftermath of the 2007 elections are nonetheless contemporary in our minds. In 2017, the Supreme Court docket of Kenya nullified the presidential election once more due to the misconduct of the IEBC. What we noticed yesterday was a travesty and a blatant disregard of the Structure and the legal guidelines of Kenya by Mr. Chebukati and a minority of IEBC Commissioners.

The legislation is evident on the position of the Chairperson of the IEBC. The legislation doesn’t vest within the Chairperson the powers of a dictator to rule the IEBC unilaterally. The IEBC is structured as a democratic establishment through which choices should be taken both by consensus or by a vote of the bulk. The Chairperson and a tiny minority of commissioners don’t have any authorized authority to take weighty choices and proclaim them because the rulings of the IEBC. The legislation on the IEBC gives that UNLESS A UNANIMOUS DECISION IS REACHED, A DECISION ON ANY MATTER BEFORE THE COMMISSION SHALL BE BY A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS PRESENT AND VOTING. As well as, the courtroom of attraction within the Maina Kiai case, dominated WE ITERATE AS WE CONCLUDE THAT THERE IS NO DOUBT FROM THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE LAWS WE HAVE CONSIDERED THAT THE PEOPLE OF KENYA DID NOT INTEND TO VEST OR CONCENTRATE SUCH SWEEPING AND BOUNDLESS POWERS IN ONE INDIVIDUAL, THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE APPELLANT. That’s the reason I, AZIMIO and the nation at massive, have been shocked yesterday to be taught that Mr. Chebukati ALONE determined to pronounce himself on the supposed winner of the 2022 presidential elections. We perceive that ONLY Mr. Chebukati ALONE had entry to the tally of the presidential vote. He denied all of the commissioners entry to that data till he all of a sudden appeared earlier than the commissioners within the late afternoon to current them with a fait accompli.

I perceive that the fee had beforehand agreed on the tally of the Presidential outcomes. However barely two hours earlier than his announcement, Mr. Chebukati referred to as a gathering of the IEBC and revealed to them the completely different outcomes he was going to announce. FOUR of the SEVEN protested Mr. Chebukati s actions. However Mr. Chebukati whose thoughts appeared made up didn’t entertain any dialogue of the outcomes, precipitating a walkout by a majority of the commissioners who promptly denounced the outcomes at a press convention. We all know what occurred subsequent. A majority of the commissioners walked out and held a press convention the place they denounced the outcomes. Our view in Azimio is evident. The figures introduced by Mr. Chebukati are null and void and should be quashed by a courtroom of legislation. In our view, there may be neither a legally and validly declared winner nor a President-Elect. Mr. Chebukati’s announcement purporting to announce a winner is a NULLITY. He acted with gross impunity and in complete disregard of the Structure and our legal guidelines. He might have plunged our nation into chaos had our supporters not exercised nice restraint. Such blatant acts of impunity could be a risk to the safety of our nation. It’s not as much as us to resolve whether or not Mr. Chebukati has dedicated an offense. We go away that willpower to the suitable authorities. For the avoidance of doubt, I need to repeat that we completely and with out reservations reject the presidential outcomes introduced yesterday by Mr. Chebukati.

I need to commend our supporters for remaining calm and preserving the peace, and I urge them to proceed to take action. Let nobody take the legislation into their very own arms. We’re pursuing constitutional and lawful channels and processes to INVALIDATE Mr. Chebukati’s ILLEGAL and UNCONSTITUTIONAL pronouncement. We’re sure that justice will prevail. I need to additional commend the heroism of the FOUR commissioners – the vast majority of the IEBC – who stood as much as the bullying and unlawful conduct of Mr. Chebukati. WE are pleased with them and ask them to not concern something. Kenyans are with them.

As we speak I don’t need to absolutely handle our methods going ahead however suffice it to notice that we’ll be pursuing ALL CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL OPTIONS out there to us. We are going to achieve this as a result of we regard the various flaws within the elections and the wrongs dedicated by IEBC as FATAL to the method and the end result introduced by Mr. Chebukati. We urge Kenyans and the chums and companions of Kenya overseas to face tall and be counted as we search to advance the beliefs of democracy and an open society that we’ve at all times stood for. We are going to pursue justice for our supporters and for all Kenyans in order that their selections are revered and honored.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS KENYA.