24, January 2017 (Nyamilepedia) — Kenyan Opposition leader has released a damning statement condemning the current President Uhuru of trying to use state power to influence the upcoming Kenyan elections by using the state Intelligence and Security services as a tool to rig votes and stay in power for longer.
In a statement seen by Nyamilepedia and also posted on the oppositions main online website (RailaOdinga), the Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga said the government of Uhuru was using the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to try and influence the country’s elections in his own favour.
“We have credible information that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) is once again heavily involved in the on-going voter registration with the aim of influencing results in August in the same way it did in 2007 and 2013.” said the statement by Raila Odinga
The new accusations by the opposition could throw the integrity of the whole election process into question and undermine the outcome of the elections.
Kenyan institutions and government agencies are not allowed by the constitution to take part in election practices or interfere with integrity of the democratic practice of elections, but in a worrying development the opposition leader said Uhuru Kenyatta was going against the constitution and seem to be using the state security agencies to manipulate the elect results.
The opposition leader sad there was evidence showing the (NIS) registration of individuals outside Kenya as voters without proper procedures or checks. He also said ghost voters lists were being create in order to inflate potential voters for President Uhuru.
Meanwhile other Kenya officials and oppositions have raised concerns that Uhuru’s government has recently stepped up deployment of the security forces including army and police across the country and have brought new equipments which includes anti-riot Vehicles and other military hardware just months before the elections, many are questioning the timing of such actions by the government.
Pro-government supporters have been seen boosting online and on social media that the government of President Uhuru has bought new Military and security equipment that will be used to crack down on opposition incase they try to win the Kenyan elections.
One progverment support told a reporter that Kikuyu (President Uhuru tribe) would never allow the Nilotics (referring to Raila Odinga’s ethnic group) President to come to power or be stronger than them.
“We Kikuyu will not leave that seat, only over our dead bodies….our grandfathers fought for this country…so we will defend Uhuru whether by elections, or any other means to remain in power” said Godfrey Gatimu a pro-government supporter
Another government supporter who is also a government official said they would never allow Raila to take power in Kenya, warning that democracy is not important.
“we will never allow this Nilotics to raise up in this country…by the way even in the whole region, we will keep them from power through our various means” Hakim Gikuyu said a serious looking Uhuru supporter
Raila has called for all government institutions especially the Security agencies to respect and protect integrity of democratic transformation and elections in Kenya, he asked them not to repeat mistakes of the past that lead to violence.
“NIS must let the IEBC do its work as an independent institution. The intelligence agency must equally operate as a politically non-partisan and independent institution whose duty it is to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process and not interfere with it.” Read part of the statement by Raila Odinga
He warned that public could lose trust and confidence in state agencies that try to interfere with the election process.
“It is a disgrace and a betrayal of public trust when an institution that is supposed to safeguard the interests of the nation take the lead in undermining those very interests.” said the opposition leader
The Kenyan government lead by Uhuru Kenyatta has decided recently to make changes to constitutional law guiding elections, one of the change he made included allowing voters to be registered and vote manually, and also for votes be counted manually which opposition worry could cause errors leading to disputes, instead of the electric votes and counting required for in the Kenyan constitution.
Opposition parties have cried foul accusing president Uhuru of trying to manipulate elections in his favour in order to cling to power Kenya, they also said the current government was using security agencies to intimidate opposition parties and their supporters, but the President supporters deny the claims saying they are just trying to get more people to vote and the deployment of security is to keep security and order.
President Uhuru Kenyatta was accused of stoking tribalism and masterminding election violence which racked the country in 2007 pitting different Kenya ethnic groups against each other.
Kenyatta was indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for masterminding crimes against Humanity in the aftermath of the 2007 election violence but the case against him was later dropped after lobbying from African countries who thought the ICC was targeting African leaders.
However two opposition supporters the reporter spoke to said they come from the two different and rival groups of Kikuyu and Luo respectively but they all wanted change for a better Kenya and a peaceful prosperous country, dismissing claims of tribal campaigns.
“I want to see Odinga give us more opportunities which we ordinary Kenyans so far have never got” said Gitonga who is from Kikuyu but supports opposition leader Raila
Meanwhile another opposition supporter said he just wanted to see a better peace and prosperous Kenya but said that would need a new and non-tribal oriented leader with new ideas.
“We do not want leaders who do not want to leave power and are dividing us Africans for their own personal interests, we want a united Africa with freedom and economic growth for all, we are one but we just want good leaders” said Anyang Onyiengo from Kisumu.
Different Kenyan political leaders including President Uhuru are believed to be preparing their ethnic groups for another round of violence according to diplomats and international observers.
Regional and International observers monitoring the events in Kenya have warn that repeat of 2007 contested election followed by violence cannot be ruled out this time around, analysts say possibility of violence breaking out on ethnic lines in the next Kenyan election is now at it’s highest point.
