Nasa wants to sabotage polls, Uhuru tells AU team

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday told the African Union that the opposition was engaged in a campaign to force the postponement of the August elections.

At a meeting with an African Union elections observer team led by former South African President Thabo Mbeki, President Kenyatta spoke of a pattern of actions by National Super Alliance leaders that he said demonstrated their resolve to sabotage the elections.

Moussa Faki, the Chadian chairman of the AU Commission, accompanied Mr Mbeki to the meeting at State House, Nairobi.

President Kenyatta said the opposition is aiming for chaos and is not interested in a fair contest where voters chose the victorious.

CHAOS

“We have persistently declared that we are ready to accept the will of the people, but the opposition adamantly refuses to submit itself to that commitment. The reason is simple. Subversion of the will of Kenyans,” he said.

He also informed Mr Mbeki's team that the opposition’s attack on those in charge of securing the country as well as the elections was a clear sign of their intention to cause chaos.

“The responsibility of securing the elections and the country lies with the government,” said the President as he promised that the elections will be free, fair, transparent, credible and peaceful.

STABILITY

Mr Kenyatta informed the AU officials that he has made many compromises during the preparations for the election but one thing he will not accede to is a change of the polls date.

He said elections must take place on August 8 as provided for by the Constitution and anything less would be a subversion of the people’s will.

The AU Commission chairman said Kenya’s stability is crucial for the region and the continental body wants the country to have a peaceful election.

The AU delegation on Wednesday met Nasa flag-bearer Raila Odinga and his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka.