Raila calls off Supreme Court, IEBC vigil
Azimio La Umoja, a political coalition associated with President Uhuru Kenyatta and presidential candidate Raila Odinga, has called off a planned seven-day vigil at the Supreme Court and all Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) offices countrywide.
A press statement by Mr Odinga’s campaign press secretary Dennis Onsarigo reveals the decision call was reached after consultations with senior party officials.
“We have cancelled the earlier plans after consulting widely with the senior party officials. The church service will however stand as we had told our supporters. We urge them to join us for the church service in Kibra,” said Mr Onsarigo.
He added that the party’s supporters had been advised to stay calm and follow the Supreme Court proceedings from the comfort of their homes.
“Upon further consideration, acting on the advice of our counsel and the party leadership, the Azimio la Umoja coalition members have been advised to stay calm, follow the proceedings of the apex court and not necessarily through the staging of vigils.”
Earlier, the Alliance in a statement, had asked members affiliated with the coalition to stage a peaceful seven-day vigil at the Supreme Court and all IEBC offices countrywide.
“All Azimio leaders including MCAs are hereby requested to gather at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation offices in Nairobi County starting 9.00am on 28 August 2022 for a briefing,” the notice stated.
The notice came even as the deadline for petitioners and respondent to file documents in the Presidential petition lapsed.
A number of affidavits including that of IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati were admitted ahead of the status conference at the Supreme Court set for Tuesday.
Mr Chebukati contended that the four dissenting commissioners at the electoral body already had a pre-arranged consensus about changing the presidential results before they were announced in favour of Mr Odinga.
In his replying affidavit, Mr Chebukati said that the four were pushing for a re-run, a situation they described as a win-win.
The IEBC chairman further added that after listening to all the views, he insisted that IEBC would not subvert the will of the people and the “I will announce and declare the final results in accordance with the verified tallies as verified and tallied by the commission.”
“I reminded my colleagues that we all took individual oaths of office to protect the constitution and should not usurp the sovereign will of the people,” he recalled.
He stated that at that point, he rose and informed his colleagues that they should proceed to present the results to the agents of the presidential candidates before declaring the final results.
Mr Chebukati’s affidavit was supported by the one from Commissioner Abdi Guliye who accused the four dissenting Commissioners led by Vice Chairperson Juliana Cherera of illegally wanting the commission to declare Odinga President or force a runoff.
In his responses to Mr Odinga’s Petition which is seeking to overturn President-Elect William Ruto’s win, Mr Guliye says the four were honouring a request from leaders allied to Mr Odinga and a section of security officers.
According to the timelines released by the Judiciary, the hearing of the petition will begin on Tuesday, August 30, 2022.
The seven-judge bench of the court will deliver its verdict on September 5, 2022, fourteen days after the petition was filed.