On November 5, 2022, ODM leader Raila Odinga delivers a speech to the general population in Ganze, Kilifi County. Picture: Kevin Odit
Raila Odinga has justified the meetings with the four commissioners of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) that lawmakers supporting his presidential campaign had during the election at rented apartments in Nairobi.
The aforementioned meetings took place around the same time that the four commissioners, Wafula Chebukati, chairman of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Juliana Cherera, Irene Masit, Justus Nyang'aya, and Francis Wanderi, disavowed the presidential election results announced by Chebukati, citing "opaqueness" in how they were determined.
Irene Masit is the only one of the four commissioners who has subsequently resigned.
Mr. Odinga defended the visits, saying his team was looking for "the reality" of what was happening and was protesting the results announced by Chebukati, in an interview with Citizen TV.
"These commissioners were stating 'No,' therefore the politicians were justified in visiting them (to the results). Because the information was ex-post facto, our people had a right to learn the truth. Mr. Odinga told Citizen TV that Mr. Chebukati had already revealed the outcome.
Recently, President William Ruto suspended the four commissioners and established a Tribunal to investigate their behaviour. The Tribunal was informed that the four disgraced commissioners had a meeting with top Azimio employees Raphael Tuju and Nick Salat at Yaya Apartments in the Nairobi suburb of Kilimani days after they had rejected the results.
"They (politicians from Azimio who visited) wanted to know what actually happened. Mr. Odinga added, "They are making too much noise about it at the so-called tribunal.
The leader of Azimio also attacked the President Ruto-created tribunal, chaired by Justice Muchelule, calling it unlawful, claimed Raila.
"That tribunal itself is illegal. The manner in which it was established, the matter was rushed, and before the bill was even brought before Parliament, the so-called Victor who brought the bill had already condemned the four commissioners as individuals who had caused the country to be in upheaval," he said.
However, Mr. Odinga conjectured that the four commissioners' fates had already been decided as the petition was being submitted.
Additionally, he called the ongoing proceedings a complete "charade" and argued that Justice Mucheule's behaviour needs to be investigated.
"We were aware that it was a sham, and they had no right to seek justice from the tribunal. The honesty of Justice Mchelule himself is questionable. The Akasha trial in the US named him, according to Odinga.
He has a substantial FBI file on him, and he is suddenly the archangel accusing the other commissioners, I wonder. We don't anticipate any justice from a tribunal of this nature since it is a fake.
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