A repeat election may mean more humiliation at the ballot for Azimio La Umoja coalition and its presidential candidate Raila Odinga.
Prof. Peter Kagwanja, the Chief Executive of the Africa Policy Institute and former government adviser says on a visit to a village in Kangema, Murang’a County, one of President-elect William Ruto’s political strongholds, the residents informed will now come out 99% for the ‘Chief Hustler’ Ruto.
“I am here at chilly Kenyanjeru village, Kangema, taking tea at Kwa Nyina wa Wangari Kiosk,” said Prof. Kagwanja on Wednesday morning. “Villagers tell me if the Supreme Court orders a repeat/run-off election, they will now come out 99% for the ‘Chief Hustler’. A more furious ‘Yellow Wave’ will humiliate us, Azimio honchos,” Prof Kagwanja wrote on Twitter.
I am here at chilly Kenyanjeru village, Kangema, taking tea at Kwa Nyina wa Wangari Kiosk. Villagers tell me if the Supreme Court orders a repeat/run-off election, they will now come out 99% for the “Chief Hustler”. A more furious “Yellow Wave” will humiliate us, Azimio honchos pic.twitter.com/UlJYVao7Fh
— Peter Kagwanja (@profkagwanja) August 17, 2022
Running on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket, Ruto won the presidency after garnering 7,176,141 votes against Raila’s 6,942,930.
Raila and his Azimio brigade have refused to accept the results, describing them as “null and void.”
The poll losers are believed to be preparing to contest at the Supreme Court.
While some voters insist it is within Raila’s democratic right to seek recourse through the court, others have called on him to concede defeat.
Throughout the campaigns and polls, Prof. Kagwanja has been forthright in calling out the facts as he sees them.
“Our AZIMIO-aligned Commissioners (IEBC) should not sacrifice our peace on the altar of their mathematical ignorance,” he wrote on Twitter yesterday.
“0.01% of 14,213,027 who voted translates to 1,421 votes not 142,130!! Even if you deduct 1,421 from Chebukati’s total, RUTO IS STILL AHEAD WITH 231,790!!”.
Of Ruto’s 7,176,141 votes, 4.5 million votes were majorly from 17 counties in Mount Kenya (10) and his Rift Valley backyard (7).
The counties were Laikipia, Tharaka-Nithi, Murang’a, Kiambu, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Nyandarua, Embu, Meru, Nakuru, Baringo, Bomet, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Kericho, Nandi, West Pokot and Uasin Gishu.
In 2017, the Supreme Court ordered for a repeat election following a successful petition by Raila-led NASA coalition. Raila boycotted the election, getting only 73,000 votes against winner Uhuru Kenyatta of Jubilee who got 7.5m votes.
