Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance coalition party leader Raila Odinga says he should have pushed for the removal of former IEBC Chairman, Wafula Chebukati.
Speaking to KTN News on Tuesday, the former prime minister said the opposition should have tried to have Chebukati removed before the 2018 handshake.
“We should have done it or we should not have agreed to go to elections under Chebukati. But the thing was the fear that the country was going to break apart,” he said.
He blamed the former chair for the bungled 2022 polls in which he (Raila) emerged second, behind William Ruto.
Read: Raila Speaks on Ruto Pressuring the West to Impose Sanctions Against Him
Raila claimed that the rigging plot was orchestrated by Chebukati who involved himself in the procurement of ICT infrastructure in collusion with CEO Hussein Marjan and Smartmatics.
He noted that his team has carried out investigations into the rigging claims and evidence shows that Supreme Court judges were also involved.
“Evidence that we have is substantial. It cannot be controverted,” he said.
He, however, stated that he does not blame President Ruto for the alleged rigging. The person to blame, he said, was then IEBC chair.
Read Also: Raila’s Tenure as AU Special Envoy Comes to an End
“I don’t blame William Ruto. The man who was working on his behalf. Chebukati was working on behalf of Ruto,” he said.
The ODM leader also denounced the removal of the ‘Cherera Four’ from office, and the Justice Aggrey Muchelule-led tribunal’s finding that Azimio sought to interfere with the poll results.
The tribunal on Monday asked President Ruto to fire the remaining commissioner, Irene Masit, who unlike her three colleagues, did not resign.
“It is so annoying the kind of confidence these guys have. That they can try to lie to the whole nation the way they have,” he said.
Read Also: Tribunal Recommends Removal of Suspended IEBC Commissioner Irene Masit
“We said these must be the end. We don’t wont Kenyans to be run again this way.”
Asked if he is open to talks with the head of state, Raila said he (Ruto) must first lower the cost of living, open the IEBC servers and stop the recruitment of IEBC commissioners.
“He must agree to open the server. Secondly, stop the recruitment of IEBC commissioners and the third is the issue of the cost of living in the country. Kenyans are suffering, some cannot buy bread,” said the former premier.
“If Ruto knows he won the elections why does he fear.”
Raila maintained that he beat Ruto with over 2 million votes. He allegedly garnered 8.1 million votes against Ruto’s 5.9 million.
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