President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto address Chuka residents during their meet-the-people tour of the region/PSCU
CHUKA, Kenya, Sep 25 – President Uhuru Kenyatta has said the ballot box was the only path to the presidency and those in the Opposition angling for power sharing were doomed to fail.
Speaking in Chuka, in his vote-rich Tharaka Nithi stronghold, as he returned to campaign for fresh the election in earnest, President Kenyatta also said the Opposition was free to hold peaceful demonstrations, but warned that any violence or destruction of property would be met with the full force of the law.
The Constitution was clear that the only way for one to become President of the Republic was through the ballot, so the Opposition should concentrate on seeking votes from the electorate like he is doing instead of engaging in sideshows.
“We will not allow the Opposition to deny Kenyans their right to choose the leader they want,” President Kenyatta said.
The President was on a campaign blitz of Tharaka Nithi and Embu counties, which voted overwhelmingly for him in August election that were annulled by the Supreme Court “on flimsy grounds.”
President Kenyatta took a swipe at Opposition leader Raila Odinga, telling him to pull out of the fresh election if he is not ready, instead of attempting to sabotage the electoral process.
He expressed optimism that Kenyans will turn out in large numbers on October 26 to vote for him and make their voice heard once again like they did on August 8.
“The same God who gave us victory and the same Kenyans who voted for us on August 8 will be there on October 26,” President Kenyatta said.
The Head of State was clear that he would not allow violence and anarchy, for which the opposition is well known, to be unleashed on Kenyans under the guise of demonstrations against electoral agency IEBC.
“People are free to demonstrate but they must ensure that they do not destroy other people’s property. Mama mboga’s vegetables will not be destroyed. Businesses will not be attacked. Let them not think that they will break into other people’s shops and interfere with the daily routine of other Kenyans,” President Kenyatta said.
“That, we shall not allow,” President Kenyatta said.
He advised the Opposition to stop fighting with IEBC and instead go to seek votes from the people.
“They have to decide whether they want to be the adjudicators or the candidates because they cannot be both,” President Kenyatta said.
President Kenyatta emphasised that he will remain steadfast on his transformation agenda that will ensure unity, guarantee a free, equitable, stable, inclusive and prosperous Kenya.
Deputy President Ruto told the opposition to leave the IEBC alone to conduct the repeat polls as directed by the Supreme Court.
He wondered why opposition leaders were discrediting IEBC and yet it was the same electoral agency that presided over the election of their governors, senators, members of parliament and county assembly.
The DP pointed out that the main reason President Kenyatta defeated Odinga on August 8 was because while the Jubilee government concentrated on lifting the lives of Kenyans through transformational projects including roads and electricity connections, the opposition was busy preaching divisive politics.
The DP said the opposition was not ready for the October 26 repeat polls because they know they do not have the numbers to win the election.
“They want to precipitate a constitutional crisis so that they can ascend to power through the back door but we are telling them that will not happen,” the Deputy President said.
The President was accompanied by Jubilee leaders from Tharaka Nithi and Embu counties who said they have resolved to work aggressively to ensure President Kenyatta wins with a bigger margin on the October 26 repeat presidential election.
The leaders included Tharaka Nithi Governor Onesmus Muthomi Njuki and MPs Kindiki Kithure (Senate Deputy Speaker), Beatrice Nkatha Nyaga (Women Rep), Patrick Munene Ntwiga (Chuka/Igambang’ombe) and Japhet Kareke Mbiuki (Maara); Embu leaders included Governor Martin Wambora and MPs Peter Njeru Ndwiga (Senator), John Muchiri Nyaga (Manyatta), Eric Muchangi Njiru (Runyenjes), Geoffrey Kingangi Muturi (Mbeere South) and Charles Njagagua (Mbeere North) among others.
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