Nasa leaders meet to discuss Raila's swearing-in

From left: Nasa co-principals Moses Wetang’ula, Musalia Mudavadi, Raila Odinga, and Busia Senator Amos Wako during Prof Calestous Juma burial in Budalang’i, Busia County, yesterday. Below: Cabinet secretaries Amina Mohammed and Judy Wakhungu read out the President’s condolences. PHOTO | TONNY OMONDI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The leaders also vowed to go on with their swearing-in plan.

  • Mr Odinga termed theft and corruption as the biggest enemies of Kenyans.

  • Mr Odinga and Mr Mudavadi said their resolve is to fight for electoral justice for the benefit of the whole country.

Nasa leaders on Saturday maintained that they will not relent in their push for electoral justice. The leaders also vowed to go on with their swearing-in plan.

Led by opposition chief Raila Odinga and his co-principals Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang’ula, the leaders reiterated that their journey to “Canaan” was real and will be achieved soon.

Mr Odinga termed theft and corruption as the biggest enemies of Kenyans.

“We must achieve electoral justice to end this tyrannical leadership that has cost us development. Our journey to Canaan is on course whether they like it or not,” said Mr Odinga.

He said, drawing laughter from the crowd, that everywhere he goes, his supporters follow him with a Bible ready to have him sworn in as the people’s president.

“Swearing-in has its day. The moment will come soon,” he said shortly after some youths approached him with a Bible during the burial of scholar Calestous Juma at Bumina village, Budalang’i, Busia county.

Speaking at Kegoye in Vihiga during the burial of Enock Esabwa, Mr Odinga and Mr Mudavadi said the opposition will use the Kakamega meeting today to step up plans for his swearing-in.

“We are going to Kakamega tomorrow to set the agenda,” said Mr Odinga.

SWEARIN IN

 The meeting will bring together delegates from Vihiga, Kakamega, Busia and Bungoma counties to plan for the swearing-in.

Mr Odinga and Mr Mudavadi said their resolve is to fight for electoral justice for the benefit of the whole country.

“We have statistics on how people voted on August 8. That is why we say we won and we will go on with plans for swearing-in. No one will stop us,” said Mr Odinga in Vihiga.

He went on: “The rigging of the August 8 election is the final injustice we will allow. It will never be repeated.”

Mr Wetang’ula, while speaking in Budalang’i, hit out at the government, saying it had perfected the art of celebrating “mediocrity at the expense of talent”.

HUSTLER

“The kind of leadership we have is appalling. A leader in this country stands up and says he is a hustler. This is why stealing elections has become the norm rather than the exception,” said the Nasa co-principal.

He added: “People no longer talk about earning money; they talk about making money. Very unfortunate.”

He said that the death of Prof Juma was an opportunity to change the trajectory of the country.

He asked the residents of Budalang’i to continue resisting the Jubilee government.

But President Kenyatta, in his condolence message read by outgoing Environment Cabinet Secretary Judi Wakhungu accompanied by her Foreign Affairs counterpart Amina Mohamed, chose to steer clear of politics, urging Kenyans to emulate the fallen scholar.

INNOVATION

The President said Prof Juma was keen on innovation  and urged Kenyans to learn from him.

In his tribute, Mr Odinga said the fallen scholar was a true nationalist who advocated prosperity of not only his country but the African continent at large. “Just as he struggled to make the lives of our people better, we in Nasa will strive and continue to stand up for the truth and die for something rather than die for nothing. We will progress until we get electoral justice which has denied our people the chance to get what is rightfully theirs,” he said.

Speaking in Vihiga, Mr Mudavadi said the opposition will remain united to ensure justice is achieved.

He said: “This regime has fought us hard. Our people have been teargassed. We are soldiering on to ensure normalcy is restored.”

PERSONAL GAIN

He went on: “Our stand as Nasa is in the interest of the general public and not for personal gain. We want electoral justice for all, not just for Raila and Mudavadi.”

“Rigging of elections must be brought to an end. Our August victory was stolen. Servers remain closed. On October 26, over 70 per cent of people never turned out to vote. Now even a child knows people rig elections,” he added.

Mr Mudavadi challenged church leaders to preach justice, peace and reconciliation.

Mr Odinga reiterated that they do not recognise the fresh presidential election held on October 26.

“Only 3.5 million voted on October 26. But IEBC declared Uhuru the winner with 7.5 million votes in an election we boycotted. We are on the way to Canaan. That is why we will be in Kakamega to set the agenda,” said Mr Odinga.

 By Rushdie Oudia, Gaitano Pesa and Derrick Luvega