President dismisses Opposition leader’s IEBC chiefs bribery claims
President William Ruto has told off Azimio leader Raila Odinga asking him to explain why he invited the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials to his home.
Ruto said Raila was not being sincere in his recent claims that some IEBC commissioners visited the Azimio leader’s home and now wants him to explain what his intention was.
Speaking during the Jacaranda Grounds rally on Sunday, Raila said three commissioners, including chairman Wafula Chebukati, visited his home and attempted to solicit a bribe from him.
But while addressing delegates on Monday during the Conference of the African Prosecutors’ Association (APA) in Mombasa, the President said it was odd that the bribery claims had emerged five months after the elections.
“I was listening yesterday to one of our politicians who was alleging that members of the IEBC went to his house and he is telling this story five months after the act. He is volunteering this information with insinuations that the officials had gone there for something he has not disclosed. It begs the question if it is true, what were these officials doing in his house at your invitation, being a candidate?” Ruto asked.
Supreme Court
He added: “If it’s true, what were these officials doing in your house, at your invitation and you were a candidate? How did you end up inviting officials of an independent body to your house? It begs the question,” asked Ruto.
Ruto said Raila ought to have presented the evidence at the Supreme Court ruling but talking about it now was unrealistic.
“You also had an opportunity to bring up this evidence, before the seven judges of the Supreme Court, but you did not. You then take this big landslide to a political rally,” he said.
At the Sunday rally, Raila said he has pictures of the commissioners’ visit and he will make them public if he has to.
“Chebukati is saying there are people who tried to bribe him, even his other colleagues Guliye and Molu. I want to ask them what they came to do in my house. What did they ask me for? I have pictures and if they continue playing I will make them public,” he said.
At the Mombasa conference, Ruto rejected calls for a return to the parliamentary system of government saying it will be going against the will of the people.
The President said Kenyans decided to have the presidential system in 2010.
“I am a strong believer that a government is as good as the system of accountability that is put in place,” Ruto said.
