NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 16 – Azimio La Umoja – One Kenya presidential candidate Raila Odinga has rejected the presidential results announced by Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Wafula Chebukati on Monday.
Speaking during a press conference at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Odinga stated that the figures announced by Chebukati were “null and void and must be quashed by a court of law.”
“In our view there is neither a legally and validly declared winner nor a president-elect. What we saw yesterday was a traversing and blatant disregard of the law of Kenya,” he stated.
Odinga pointed out that the conduct of Chebukati to solely declare the results without the consensus of the rest of the commissioners was a drawback to democracy terming it a grave ‘legal and political’ crisis.
“In 2017 the court nullified the elections because of the misconduct of the IEBC. What we saw yesterday was travesty and a blatant disregard of the constitution,” Odinga noted.
According to Odinga, the weighty decision of the commission which includes tallying of the results was not a unilateral decision to be made the poll agency chair.
On Monday, Chebukati announced United Democratic Alliance Leader William Ruto accompanied by minority of the commissioners who include Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu as well IEBC CEO Marjan Hussein.
“Unless a unanimous decision is reached, a decision on any matter before the commission must be by a majority of the members present and voting,” Odinga stated.
Odinga elaborated that the IEBC Chair singlehandedly handled the tallying of the presidential result denying the rest of the commissioners’ access to the process and only involved them at the finalization of the process.
“Four of the seven commissioners protested Chebukati’s action, but his mind appeared made up didn’t entertain any discussions from them precipitating a walk out from them,” he said.
The four Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), who disowned and distanced themselves from the presidential results declared on Monday, have disclosed their reasons.
IEBC Vice Chair Juliana Cherera, Commissioners Francis Wanderi, Irene Masit and Justus Nyang’aya listed four reasons for disowning the results which saw William Ruto declared President-elect by the Commission’s Chairperson Wafula Chebukati.
An earlier press conference by the Saitabao Kanchory, the Chief Agent of Azimio Presidential candidate Raila Odinga, who cited irregularities in the election and vowed to challenge the outcome.
“As we speak right now we do not know what the chairman is doing with those results, we have had concerns, particularly about the integrity of the IEBC technology and server,” he said.
