Campaign Tracker: Elections update as of June 14
Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga (left) and his Kenya Kwanza counterpart William Ruto. Complaints must not condition our coverage against entities we are accused of favouring
What is Kenyan politics without some boda boda drama? Mandera town was not at ease 0n Monday after several boda boda riders protested non-payment for services they offered one of the presidential candidates in their area last week.
In other news, fresh twist in Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja’s bid for the capital's governor seat after petitioners use the wrong name in the case.
Kenya Kwanza presidential candidate Dr William Ruto went full throttle in his accusations against President Kenyatta’s non-committal approach in fighting corruption. He blamed his boss for the run-away graft in the country while meeting university dons at his Karen residence yesterday.
Did you know that Roots Party Leader is an academic guru. He revealed that he has 17 degrees.
Azimio coalition’s presidential candidate Raila Odinga and his running mate, Martha Karua were in Kisii County on Monday to bolster their support in Nyanza.
Here is all you need to know about Kenya’s political scene as at June 14.
Mandera Boda Boda Riders protest over unpaid fees after Ruto Rally
Mandera town was in chaos yesterday after details emerged that both the boda boda and taxi operators were allegedly supposed to be paid for gracing the DP's rally in the area last week.
This is after a section of the boda boda riders went to Mandera Police station on Friday to report a failed deal.
According to the riders, some UDA leaders and candidates from the area short-changed them and disappeared their dues.
“We were engaged by a Member of County Assembly (MCA) allied to UDA to escort the Deputy President from the airstrip to a hotel through the town but the guy has disappeared with our pay,” Yakub Abdi, a boda boda operator in Mandera said.
A source at the police station confirmed the presence of the boda boda operators at the station but said police could record their complaint because they (boda bodas) failed to produce any written agreement on the same.
“The boda boda operators were here but we could not receive their complaint because they lacked a formal agreement that formed the basis for their complaint. It could be difficult for us to nail the suspect in this case,” the officer said, requesting anonymity.
Neboi MCA and Leader of Majority at Mandera County Assembly Abdi Adan Ali denied shortchanging the hired groups for the DP’s rally in Mandera and said they settled 25 boda bodas and 75 taxi operators whom they engaged for the rally.
The groups had accused him of taking off with their dues after a day of attending DP’s function.
Mr Ali said the entire amount received from the party headquarters was used in paying the police who provided security and delegates who attended the economic forum.
“We paid Sh100,000 to police and another Sh100,000 to UDA candidates and others from affiliate parties who came from places like Mandera North and Lafey as their transport expenses,” Mr Ali said without revealing the total amount from the party.
Who is Sakaja Koskei?
Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja yesterday insisted that he has a valid degree certificate from Team University in Uganda, which he attained in 2016.
At the same time, Mr Sakaja has stated that the names used in the petitions are not his.
In a replying affidavit to four complaints, the senator, who is seeking to be Nairobi Governor, said he graduated from the Ugandan university on October 16, 2016.
He also says the petitioners omitted the page bearing his name in the 2016 graduation booklet.
"Complainants’ wild allegations to the effect that l did not graduate from Team University are factually hollow and unfounded. For nefarious goals, the complainants have fraudulently omitted relevant pages in the graduation booklet that bear my graduation credentials," the senator states in a replying affidavit filed before the IEBC committee.
Mr Sakaja also says his name is Sakaja Johnson Arthur and not Sakaja Koskei Johnson.
"I have never been known, identified or addressed by a name Sakaja Koskei Johnson in any manner whoever associated to in one of the complainants herein," said the senator.
"The person referred in the suit is not myself by any means or imaginary stretch. However, the person cited as Sakaja Koskei Johnson in the suit is a complete stranger to the election for the position of Governor Nairobi City County general elections on August 9, 2022," he stated.
Corruption thrived under Uhuru’s watch, DP Ruto says
Deputy President Dr William Ruto accused President Uhuru Kenyatta of neglecting the war against corruption and running a show of convenience to tarnish his name during an interview on national TV on Sunday.
“Things were cooked for convenient reasons to blame one William Ruto. For instance, the issue of Kimwarer and Arror dams’ contracts…do you know that they have never been cancelled and they are alive? Regardless of what the statements and declarations that they make, why have they not cancelled the projects?” he said.
While speaking on NTV on Sunday evening, Dr Ruto lamented that the war on corruption, as it is, now serves no common good since it has been politicized and the impetus of the fight against the vice was stage managed to target him and his August 9 presidential ambitions, vowing that he was in it to the end, and win.
He said he will within 90 days deliver a formula to fix the big issue of two third gender rule.
“Within one year I will be through. We will start by giving women half the cabinet, use administrative interventions, Bills already drafted...to serve the whole allay of women at the bottom of the pyramid with empowerment programmes," he said.
In a straight punch to the president, Dr Ruto said that “when the president is the one who is giving us lectures on who to investigate, arrest, charge… he himself becomes untouchable,” saying the whole process becomes a matter of institutions worshiping the powers that be instead of delivering on mandate.
If he were the president, Dr Ruto said, he would not protect his loyalists, friends, relatives and allies “not even me.”
He said that all those associated with his political formation—including his running mate Rigathi Gachagua-- will be found culpable by law in the criminal cases surrounding them... If they have merit, they will succeed and get convicted and if their cases were politically instigated, they will fail.
Inside Ganja President Wajackoyah’s 17 degrees!
Whereas many know him as the “weed president”, very few know Roots Party leader, George Luchiri Wajackoyah for his academic prowess and that he has a whopping 17 degrees under his name.
With a Phd from Walden University, Professor Wajackoyah has practiced law for 25 years.
After completing his high school studies in 1980 from St. Peter Mumias Boys High School, the professor studied policing and criminal investigation at Kenya Police Training College in Kiganjo, and graduated as a police officer. He then joined the CID Training School to pursue security and intelligence studies.
At the height of the late foreign affairs minister Robert Ouko’s death, the then intelligence officer, who was in charge of gathering information on the matter got in trouble with the government, and was detained and torture. Post release, he fled to the United Kingdom, from where he farmed for his law degrees.
There, he enrolled at University of London School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), where he studied certificate in comparative laws, before proceeding to University of Westminster to pursue a legal practice course.
While living in the UK, Professor Wajackoyah also pursued postgraduate diploma at Maastricht University, studied economics and refugee law at World University Service and bagged himself a bachelor of laws degree at Universities of Wolverhampton.
He would also pursue masters in law at development at University of Warwick and another LLM at University of London School of Oriental and African Studies.
He eventually opened a firm that dealt with immigration, before relocating to the United States of America, where he served as an educationist.
There, he studied Masters in law of USA at University of Baltimore and Master of philosophy at Walden University.
He also studied criminal and civil litigation at American Heritage University of Southern California, where he also served as an adjunct professor of law.
From Kenyan institutions, Professor Wajackoyah has a diploma in french from Kenya Institute of Administration, a postgraduate diploma in law at Kenya School of Law. He also studied laws of Kenya at Riara University.
The Ganja president, who is also a law lecturer at United States International University (USIU) is expected to launch his manifesto on July 2, 2022. Key among his plans if he is elected is the legalisation of bhang for commercial purposes, snake farming and hanging corrupt government officials.
Raila and Karua in Kisii
Azimio la Umoja presidential candidate Raila Odinga and his running mate Martha Karua led the outfit’s campaign in Kisii yesterday.
Mr Odinga said his administration will support materially and technically an ultimate vision where all vibrant counties begin industrializing at unstoppable rates. The ODM chief also attended the ceremonial groundbreaking of Nyangweta Sugar Factory in Kisii County.
Ms Karua on the other hand said the Azimio administration would promote national unity, stability, zero tolerance for corruption, and promised to commercialise Kisii county’s products under the one county, one product initiative.
Ruto meets lecturers
Kenya Kwanza’a presidential candidate, Deputy President William Ruto met with lecturers at his Karen residence yesterday where he blamed the current government for recklessly increasing public debt and burdening Kenyans.
“Met Dons for William Samoei Ruto, who is interested in signing a charter with our economic team, Karen, Nairobi County,” he posted on his twitter shortly after the meeting.
In a slight jab to the President, DP Ruto said if elected to office, the Kenya Kwanza Alliance would deal with state-capture and eliminate conflict of interest in leadership as a way of investing in priority areas of the country.
Martha Karua lectures Ruto on his “disrespect” to the President
Azimio La Umoja One Kenya running mate Martha Karua criticised Deputy President William Ruto for behaving as a co-president in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government, which she said led to disrespect and competition with his boss.
Speaking during a rally in Uasin Gishu last Sunday evening, Ms Karua said the DP should have learnt to humble himself and respected his boss, especially for a man seeking to be president.
“I want to assure Baba (Mr Odinga) that I am going to help him because he has invited me to assist him politically. I will stand behind him, I will help him and we will work and you will not hear those noises you are currently hearing in that office,” said Ms Karua.
“Everybody must understand his/her responsibilities. If you are called deputy president, be like one. There cannot be two chairmen in one meeting. There can never be two presidents at a time in a country. There can never be two governors in a county. If you are a deputy, please be a deputy and not co-president.”
Ms Karua, who received a warm reception in Eldoret, said there is no way DP Ruto could vie for the country's top seat while disrespecting his boss.
Petitioner seeking to bar Igathe from Nairobi Governor Race says he has no evidence
George Bush, a Nairobi gubernatorial hopeful, seeking to bar Mr Polycarp Igathe from vying for the Nairobi Gubernatorial seat in August 9,2022 confessed before a IEBC dispute resolution committee (DRC) that he has no evidence which can be used to do so.
Bush told the dispute committee presided over by Mr Wambua Kilonzo that “he has no tangible evidence that Mr Igathe abdicated his duties as Deputy Governor to Mike Sonko.”
He told the committee that he was prevented by security personnel from presenting a letter opposing clearance of Mr Igathe by Nairobi County Returning Officer (CRO) Albert Gogo.
Bush said that the quitting of Mr Igathe as DG and the impeachment of then Governor Mike Sonko “subjected city residents to a lot of suffering.”
“Do you have any evidence that you can present before us which we can use to bar Igathe from vying for the gubernatorial position,” Mr Kilonzo asked him.
“No I do not have,” Mr Bush answered.
Bush also testified although he wanted to vie for the city’s governorship he did not present himself for nomination on June 4, 2022 for clearance since he is an “Adventist and had attended Church service.”
“I preferred to honour my faith than present myself for nomination. I’m an Adventist and my faith does not allow me to work on that day. I decided to attend church then seek nomination another day,” Bush testified.
