NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 19 – Leaders drawn from Western Kenya have committed to stand firm behind the Azimo La Umoja – One Kenya Presidential Candidate Raila Odinga as he pursues electoral justice.
Speaking in Kisumu on Friday, a statement read by Navakholo Constituency Member of Parliament Emmanuel Wangwe noted that the region will walk with Odinga.
Wangwe indicated that every vote counts and told the people of Western that they join in the rejection of the August 9 election results.
“We want to reassure them that all efforts are being made to ensure that each and every vote counts,” he said.
He noted that they fully backed Odinga in his quest to seek justice in the Supreme Court.
The leaders spoke as the President Elect William Ruto of Kenya Kwanza continues to receive defectors from Azimio.
The leaders also took a swipe at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Wafula Chebukati for the postponement of the Kakamega gubernatorial elections for a second time.
Wangwe stated that the insecurity mentioned by Chebukati does not exist, noting that the chairman is pursuing vested political interest in the matter.
“The security concerns are nonexistent in Kakamega, where not a single incident of insecurity has been reported,” he said.
He noted that the National Security Council has pronounced itself into the matter noting that there is no insecurity threat at all across the country.
He says the aim is to favor the UDA party candidate in the pending elections.
“We therefore find Chairman Wafula Chebukati insincere and playing partisan politics that intends to favour our competitors,” he said.
He called upon IEBC to convene a plenary and overturn the postponement and have the election run as earlier scheduled.
Wangwe said that the rerunning officer for Kakamega County should be facilitated to carry out the elections as scheduled on 23rd August 2022.
“I want to call upon our supporters to vote for Ferdinand Baraza and his running mate Ayub Savula of ODM party when elections are held for the gubernatorial seat,” he said.
The leaders’ included former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya and the Busia County Governor Elect Paul Otuoma alongside a host of new parliamentarians.
