NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 31 – Principals of the One Kenya Alliance (OKA) addressed one of their major rallies in Nairobi Sunday, declaring they will not be intimidated or cowed to withdraw from the race to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The leaders who addressed a series of roadside rallies on their way from a church service in Thika said their eyes are firmly on the 2022 prize.
“You are at liberty to chose who your next leader will be. We should stop listening to other people trying to force leaders on us and saying it has to be so or so. The leadership comes from the people and people must decide,” said Musalia Mudavadi of Amani National Congress (ANC) party, one of the parties in the alliance that brings together Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Gideon Moi (KANU) and Moses Wetangula (Ford Kenya).
“I said it in Kakamega the other day, I have said it today and I will say it everywhere I go. The people will ultimately make the decision so go register as a voter because you are the one to decide who will be the next leader of this country,” Mudavadi said, also urging more Kenyans to register as voters in the ongoing drive by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Mudavadi said the alliance will not allow anyone to dictate to them on who to support for the presidency in the 2022 presidential election.
“The presidential election is decided by Kenyans at the ballot,” Mudavadi said, “so let no one assume that they are going to dictate to us.”
OKA principals have been under immense pressure to support former Prime Minister Raila Odinga who has also expressed interest to vie so as to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta who is serving his second and final term.
Kenyatta has publicly stated that he prefers Odinga to succeed him and not his Deputy William Ruto who was banking on his support as per their pre-election ‘agreement’ in both 2013 and 2017.
Kenyatta and his Deputy have fallen out due to what insiders describe as ‘irreparable differences’ and are rarely seen in public together.
“OKA will produce a presidential candidate and we will tell you who it is in due course,” Mudavadi said during roadside rallies in Makongeni in Thika and Nairobi’s Githurai.
Mudavadi’s sentiments were reinforced by his fellow principals who also urged Kenyans, particularly the youth to register as voters in the exercise set to end on November 2.
On Monday, IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati said that less than 1 million new voters had been registered in the ongoing voter registration that started a month ago.
He appealed to all eligible voters to turn out in large numbers and register before the November 2 deadline.
“The full report will be going out of all the counties, so we have only done 760,000 plus out of an expected 4.5 million. It is a very low turnout and I know Kenyans normally wait until last minute to come out, so your las minute is now because we are closing on November 2,” Chebukati said.
The commission is targeting to register over 4 million new voters in its one-month enhanced exercise a figure that is not likely to be achieved in the next two days given the low turn out trend that has been witnessed throughout the month.
“My appeal to Kenyans is to please come out in large numbers and register because this is your only chance as the commission is coming near you,” Chebukati said.
The 2022 general election is set to be conducted on August 9, 2022.
Kalonzo and Ford Kenya’s Wetangula vowed to to provide solutions to the problems Kenyans are facing including clearing the balooning public debt if any of them is elected as the fifth President of Kenya
“We will not continue complaining about the same problems that that we have been complaining about because we already know them. When we come to you, we will bring solutions that will change your lives and the face of this country,” said Wetangula.
Kalonzo said, “ In a span of one to two years, we will make sure we pay off all the public debt that this country has.”
The four who spoke during a church service are yet to decide on who will fly the presidential flag come 2022 succession politics.
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