Kenya: Odinga Says Judiciary, Legislature, IEBC Captured By the State

16 September 2022

Nairobi — Azimio La Umoja coalition leader Raila Odinga now claims the judiciary, legislature and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) have been captured by the state.

Speaking on Friday afternoon during an Azimio meeting in Athi River, Odinga also expressed concerns over the terms used by the Supreme Court judges in the ruling that upheld Pesident William Ruto's presidential win.

"You have noticed the corruption, incompetence and the capture of the independent electoral and boundaries commission, the body charged with carrying out elections in our country," he said.

He slammed the government for disbursing funds to the judiciary without following proper legal procedures.

"There's a push by the executive to own the judiciary through illegal actions that amount to bribery; it is the reason for the rush to appoint the six judges and to allocate money to the judiciary," he stated.

In that meeting, Odinga however told the Azimio MPs to stand up to the three urgent tasks of saving the judiciary, IEBC and the legislature from state capture.

He reiterated that the commission should be transformed and reformed to make it capable of conducting credible elections in the near future.

The Azimio coalition leader further blasted the Supreme Judges' statements while reading the ruling upholding president Ruto's win.

"You have noticed the attitude and the thuggery of the supreme court judges, the words that the chief justice used against us have never been used against the court even in the dark days of single party rule and state capture of the judiciary," he said.

On Thursday, Odinga jetted back into the country and while attending the inauguration of Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir, said that they will not be barred from pushing for reforms in Judicial system.

"If they become rogue, we have power as the people of Republic of Kenya to reform them and send them home," he stated.

"We can lead a one million march to the Judiciary to tell them, go home and they would have no option but go home," he added.

The Azimio chief asserted that their camp will not be bulldozed or silenced for disagreeing with the Supreme Court ruling which he termed as "judicial thuggery."

"The Judiciary should not threaten and blackmail the people of this country after they have done the messes they have done. We respect but don't agree and we have a right not to agree bad ruling of the Judiciary," he stated.

In his statement, he noted that they will not be drawn back to the KANU regime where there was no freedom of speech and justice.

"We will not allow another dictator to come in this country or Judiciary to become a dictator. We will protect our freedom," he stated.

In a similar move to keep the government on sight, Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo took the Kenya Kwanza government head on over the sudden increase in the price of fuel in Kenya.

Speaking on Friday afternoon just before the Azimio meeting in Athi River, the legislator expressed concerns over the fuel spike under the regime of the just formed government.

"Why is it only Kenya where fuel is expensive? Why not Tanzania and Uganda? This bottom-up is taking the cost of living upwards," he stated.

The top lieutenant of Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya revealed that one of the agenda of the day is the strengthening of an opposition structure that will keep the current government accountable.

"Ruto said he wants a tough opposition, we are currently planning that tough opposition," he stated.

This followed a similar stand from the top leaders of the coalition like Martha Karua who insisted that all Azimio members are bound by the coalition agreement signed before general election.

"Until you have the divorce certificate, you cannot go having another marriage, so we are the largest party in parliament, and we therefore deserve to have the majority leader and the majority whip."

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