Raila Threatens To Form His Own IEBC

Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga on Friday, July 7 threatened to form his own electoral commission should the Select Committee go ahead with selecting new commissioners at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Raila was speaking to the media at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation, following a two-hour-long procession from Kamukunji Grounds to the Nairobi CBD during the Saba Saba protests.

Other Azimio principals led protests on their own turf at the same time. Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka led protests in Kathiani Market, Machakos County while Martha Karua, the leader of the Narc Kenya party, led a Saba Saba meeting at Difathas in Kirinyaga, a meeting which was attended by a relatively large group of people, including supporters and other opposition leaders. 

Raila Odinga speaking at Kamukunji Grounds on July 7, 2023. /THE STAR BREAKING

"We have understood from Kenya Kwanza brigade that they want to go ahead and form the commission on their own.

"I want to make it very clear that if they ignore us and do so, then that will be a Kenya Kwanza Commission which we will not agree to. We as Azimio la Umoja will also go ahead and form our own electoral commission," Raila threatened. 

The former Prime Minister at the same time thanked Kenyans throughout the country who heeded Azimio's call and turned up in large numbers during the protests.

"We want them to say tuned because this is just part of the beginning," he went on.

National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi during the presser further announced another round of nationwide protests which will take place on Wednesday, July 12.

"We have also said that the people of Kenya have a right to demonstrate and picket because these are rights enshrined in our constitution," Raila affirmed.

"We are, therefore, collecting 10 million signatures in order to delegitimise this regime. In response, we will carry out our own referendum in order to delegitimise this regime." 

The protests came after months of failed bipartisan talks between a bipartisan committee which was formed by Azimio and the ruling Kenya Kwanza coalition.

The opposition is demanding that President William Ruto's administration tackles the rising cost of living, open election servers, and stop the ongoing recruitment of electoral body commissioners. 

Former Murang'a Governor Mwangi wa Iria added that Azimio la Umoja will soon lead a massive protest in the Central region to reject Ruto's regime.

"People from Central Kenya have been asking us when we will go to the Mountain Region and organise a big protest against this regime. They should not worry because we are going there," Wa Iria assured.

Raila had earlier expressed happiness at reaching the Nairobi CBD for the first time after almost four successive protests which he failed to do so.

"It is a huge achievement, for the first time we got to town, we reached KICC where they didn't want us to enter and we passed and got to Central Park," Raila narrated.

He thereafter claimed that Ruto's administration had personally targeted him during the protest that began from Kamukunji Grounds to Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD) and was photographed next to one of his vehicles which was impacted by bullets during the procession.

Raila Odinga inspecting damage sustained on his car during his march to Nairobi CBD on July 7, 2023. /TELEGRAM