Friday, 3rd May – Good morning! This is your daily edition of our brief, but salient Kenyan news properly selected for you.
DP Ruto Asks International Community to Help Him Protect Votes
Deputy President William Ruto yesterday urged EU ambassadors to demand a free and fair presidential election in August.
A concerned DP told the foreign diplomats during a meeting that some powerful forces in government were determined to manipulate the presidential results in favour of his main competitor, ODM leader Raila Odinga. He mentioned ICT Cabinet Secretary and Interior Principal Secretary Karanja as the architects of this plot.
In another puzzling claim, the DP said close to a million people in his strongholds have been removed from the IEBC voters’ register in unclear circumstances.
However, IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati insisted that voters’ data was intact and had not been interfered with.
You Might Be Interested In
Presidential Election: Who is Speaking The Truth?
Deputy President William Ruto has countered claims by ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru and Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho that Azimio la Umoja flag bearer Raila Odinga is leading in the presidential race.
Dr Ruto claimed that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) that Mucheru and Kibicho have been citing as the source of their projections has also told him that he is leading by eight percent.
“Just like the President, I’m also privy to intelligence reports. The truth of the matter is that is ahead of my competitor by eight percent, so they should stop misleading Kenyans,” he said.
According to Kibicho and Mucheru, Raila enjoys 60 percent support across the country and will win in the first round.
Ruto Out of Presidential Debates
The Kenya Kwanza Alliance has advised Deputy President William Ruto not to participate in this year’s presidential debates.
In a statement, Ruto’s presidential campaign communication director Hussein Mohamed said the mainstream media whose journalists will grill presidential aspirants, was biased against the DP.
He called out Citizen TV, Inooro TV, Inooro FM, and the Daily Nation for spreading propaganda against the second in command.
In the 2017 presidential debate, President Uhuru Kenyatta also skipped the forum on similar grounds.
Raila Stamps Authority in Nairobi
ODM leader Raila Odinga held a mega rally in Mukuru Kwa Njenga, Embakasi South to consolidate his support in the Nairobi.
He promised city dwellers living in informal settlements that his administration will fast-track the issuance of title deeds so that owners can develop their properties. On top of that, he said the areas will be connected with electricity and clean water.
Raila also prevailed upon several candidates under Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party to shelves their bids in favour of popular contenders in ODM, Jubilee, and Wiper.
Raila Reunites With Kalonzo
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has finally accepted to support ODM leader Raila Odinga’s presidential bid for the third time, though this time around he has settled for a lesser position after being bypassed for the running mate slot.
Accepting the Chief Minister position that was dangled to him by the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party, the two-time Raila’s running mate said there comes a time when the nation is greater than an individual.
He declared full support for Raila and Narc-Kenya Martha Karua, saying that the duo will make a great President and Deputy President, respectively.
“I was resting but I am now back to play my position and ensure that we win the August elections,” he said.
Deal Kalonzo Brokered in Azimio
Azimio la Umoja presidential candidate Raila Odinga’s quest for the top seat got a major boost yesterday when Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka returned to the coalition party.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Kanu chairman Gideon Moi have been burning the midnight oil trying to convince Kalonzo to drop his presidential rally and rally behind the ODM chief. However, this came at a price.
Kalonzo bargained at least five Cabinet positions, including Water, Foreign Affairs, and Energy dockets, as well as development projects in his Ukambani backyard if Azimio forms the government after the August 9 General Election.
Kalonzo commands at least two million votes.
Kenyan Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking in the US
A Kenyan has confessed to a court in New York, United States that he distributed large quantities of heroin to people in the superpower nation.
Mohamed Surur also pleaded guilty to trafficking elephant ivory and rhinoceros horns as well as money laundering.
Surur, who was arrested in Mombasa 2020 and extradited to the US now risks life imprisonment.
EACC Gets Permission to Seize Waititu Assets
The High Court has allowed the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to seize former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu’s cars and 18 prime properties.
This comes after the anti-corruption agency moved to recover the Ksh2 billion wealth it claims the politician acquired illegally.
Justice Esther Maina barred Waititu and his wife, Susan Wanjiku from touching the flagged properties until the graft case is determined.
Wajackoyah Now in The Presidential Race
Roots Party of Kenya presidential candidate George Wajackoyah has been cleared by the electoral commission to sweat it out for the presidency.
The law professor has become a sensation among Kenyans and even turned into a meme online due to his unconventional manifesto.
Wajackoyah has promised that he will legalise bhang and reduce working days to just four if elected President in August.
When he got the green light from IEBC yesterday, Wajackoyah said he has already identified suitable areas for the cultivation of marijuana.
IEBC Cannot Bar Aspirants With Court Cases
Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Chairman Wafula Chebukati on Thursday gave aspirants with questionable integrity a lifeline after stating that the body will clear them to seek electives.
Chebukati said it is not possible to bar a person with an active case in court or one who has been convicted but is yet to explore all the avenues of appeal. He noted that only persons who have been impeached will not be cleared to run.
The commission was responding after the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) blacklisted 241 aspirants and urged the IEBC to disqualify them.
