Raila Odinga asks Uhuru to shelve election law review

Anglican Church of Kenya Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit (left) received Nasa leader Raila Odinga at All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi on September 29, 2017. Mr Odinga addressed a gathering of bishops. PHOTO | FRANCIS NDERITU | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• He asked President Kenyatta to stop debate on Elections Act (Amendment) Bill 2017 and Election Offences (Amendment) Bill 2017.
• He also sought to dispel claims that he was power hungry following Nasa’s plan to stage demos.

By SILAS APOLLO
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By DAVID MWERE
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National Super Alliance (Nasa) leader Raila Odinga says he is ready for repeat presidential election if Jubilee shelves plans to amend electoral laws.

Mr Odinga on Friday said the two bills the Jubilee Party has tabled in the National Assembly were “retrogressive”.

HALFTIME

He asked President Kenyatta to stop debate on Elections Act (Amendment) Bill 2017 and Election Offences (Amendment) Bill 2017.

The opposition has opposed the law changes after equating them to changing of rules of the game at halftime.

Mr Odinga accused the ruling party of a plot to water down the Constitution and take the country back to the dark past.

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“We do want someone who changes the rules in the middle of the game. There is no need to change the goalposts when the Supreme Court has already implicated the IEBC,” said Mr Odinga.

MEETING

Speaking after meeting religious leaders at the All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi, Mr Odinga said the proposed law was an act of “extreme provocation”, which was unacceptable.

He also sought to dispel claims that he was power hungry following Nasa’s plan to stage demos.

He said he has always fought for democracy and the rule of law even after his victory was snatched in previous polls.

“I won the elections in 2007 and in 2013 but compromised for the sake of the country. Even when Kreigler came in 2007, he opined that he was not coming to ask whether I won or not. I am not someone who is power hungry,” he said.

AMBASSADOR

Earlier, the Nasa leader held a meeting with the US Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec and European Union chief election observer mission to Kenya Ms Marietje Schaake over the current political situation in the country.

The details of the meeting however, remained scanty with Mr Odinga only saying that it was fruitful.

“We appreciate the keen interest in the Kenyan electoral process that the US, EU and UK have taken. Our meeting in which we exchanged views on the country's political situation proved to be very fruitful,” Mr Odinga posted on his Facebook page.

Nasa principal Musalia Mudavadi, Siaya Senator James Orengo and Nasa legal advisor Willis Otieno also attended the meeting held at his Capitol hill offices in Nairobi.

BILL

His private secretary Dennis Onyango told the Nation that the meeting focused on a wide range of issues, chief among them, the impending fresh presidential election due on October 26.

“They discussed a range of issues around the political situation in the country including the electoral laws amendment bill and the developments at the independent electoral and boundaries commission,” Mr Onyango.

On September 1, the Supreme Court annulled President Uhuru Kenyatta’s victory citing irregularities and illegalities and ordered IEBC top conduct fresh elections within 60 days.

More follows.