Presidential poll petition: We have watertight evidence on rigging, Raila Odinga says

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By THE CITIZEN.

Documents relating to Mr Raila Odinga’s presidential petition against the declaration of Dr William Ruto as the winner are arranged at the Milimani Law Courts on August 22, 2022.

Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party presidential candidate Raila Odinga was yesterday bullish about his chances at the Supreme Court, saying they had watertight evidence to show how their August 9 “victory was stolen”.Speaking after filing the presidential election petition, the Mr Odinga said he was confident justice will prevail as they have enough evidence to put “the thieves” to shame.

Addressing a mammoth crowd that had escorted him and his allies from the Milimani Law Courts to the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in the city centre, Mr Odinga said the truth will finally come out.

“Let us remain calm but vigilant as we prosecute our case at the Supreme Court,” he added. His running mate, Ms Martha Karua, also exuded confidence in the case, insisting that “our victory has only been deferred but it is coming home.”

The Narc Kenya party leader accuse Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati of colluding with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate William Ruto to deny Mr Odinga victory in the August 9 polls.

“What happened was the highest form of criminality. The criminal enterprise led by Mr Chebukati gave access to their servers to Ruto. They cooked figures to steal your victory,” Ms Karua told their supporters.

Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka said the country has been taken hostage by foreigners but justice would prevail. He criticised foreign missions and embassies, accusing them of taking sides.

“We want them to remain neutral. Some of them were quick to send congratulatory messages t even before results were announced,” said Mr Musyoka.

“We have presented before court a watertight case. The evidence will shock the country and the world at large,” he said.

Mr Odinga accused unnamed people of trying to stop them from filing the petition. He said their fight against graft will not be stopped by corruption cartels “who have everything to lose should the forces of democracy take over”. The former premier said the cartels “are prepared to compromise electoral systems, bribe election officials, make security systems look the other way or even kill in order to find their way to power and continue stealing from the public.”

“For the sake of Kenya’s future, the corruption network must not only be stopped, it must also be crushed. This attempted takeover of the country in this election has not been an isolated phenomenon. It has been in the works every electoral cycle,” said Mr Odinga.

He claimed the group was out to undermine Kenya’s hard-won democracy by return the country into a one-party state. Mr Odinga cited the move by Dr Ruto to “buy” elected leaders just days after his declaration as president-elect as an example.

“No nation, once captured by cartels — whether they be corruption cartels, drug cartels, gun running cartels or terror cartels — has ever thrived or realised its full potential. This is the time to walk the talk,” said Mr Odinga.