NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 29 – Azimio One Kenya Presidential Candidate Raila Odinga and his running mate Martha Karua on Wednesday left a consultative meeting with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) prematurely immediately after Deputy President William Ruto walked in.
Deputy President arrived at the venue of the meeting 30 minutes after it started and when he was seen making his way to the podium, Azimio Running Karua requested to leave together with Odinga saying they had other matters to attend to.
“I am requesting that we be excused to leave as we have other matters to attend to and time is not on our side,” Karua said.
It is not clear whether the two did not want to be in the same room with their closest political nemesis DP Ruto.
Shortly after Ruto sat down, Roots Party Presidential Candidate George Wajackoyah also walked out after his Secretary General Aden Kadernani excused themselves.
Wajackoyah had not made any comments on the issues that were being discussed.
Ruto was accompanied by Tharaka Nithi Senator Kindiki Kithure and National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi.
He arrived late as he had to attend an economic forum in Tharaka Nithi earlier on Wednesday.
IEBC had a date with all the four Presidential Candidates in the upcoming August 9 polls to discuss Commission’s preparedness for the polls and more specifically the voters register.
The Presidential candidates led by Odinga had raised concerns on why the electoral body announced that it will only use electronic voter identification system and not the physical voter register.
The Commission however said that it is not ruling out the use of the manual register, but it will be its last resort.
“The Commission is not saying that it will not use the physical register. What we are saying is that it will be used as a last resort, if need be,” IEBC CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan said.