Raila Odinga: World will help if Jubilee clings on to power

Opposition leader Raila Odinga has challenged the Jubilee leadership to assure Kenyans they will concede defeat if they lose the 2017 elections.

Raila said the Opposition will have no option but to seek help from the international community to remove President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto from office should they refuse to leave if they lose the elections.

Speaking at Nyatindo in Kasipul constituency after paying a visit to his sister Akinyi Wenwa, Raila said there were signs Jubilee may try to cling to power. He said Kenyans were determined to have a new government in place come next year.

He noted the international community was alert on presidents who attempt to cling on to power even after losing elections.

"We have seen what is currently happening in Gambia where the President (Yahya Jammeh) conceded defeat then later on changed his mind and refused to hand over power. The international community is now ready to take action against him," said Raila.

Last week, Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) commission president Marcel de Souza announced that the West Africa regional bloc had put its forces on standby in case Jammeh does not step down when his mandate ends on January 19.

Raila said the Opposition will embark on a push to ensure people register as voters in Opposition strongholds to help remove Jubilee from power.

"We want to focus on voter registration at the moment. We want people to register in large numbers to enable us send the Jubilee Government home," he said.

He urged supporters in Opposition strongholds to support them as he and the other CORD principals hunt for votes in areas deemed to be Jubilee zones.

"I want you to help me consolidate the votes in our backyard. Leave the other regions to me because we will even take over Rift Valley," he appealed to his supporters.

The Opposition leader also criticised the Jubilee administration for failing to pay a section of public workers on claims that there were delays in the Integrated Financial Management System (Ifmis).

He accused the Jubilee administration of lying to Kenyans that Ifmis had broken down.

"Ifmis has not gone down. The country does not have money because they have looted all of it," claimed Raila.

The Opposition leader also accused the Jubilee government of imposing heavy taxes on Kenyans but not offering the services and opportunities that Kenyans need.

Meanwhile, Raila has said the Opposition was ready to dialogue with Jubilee over the contentious electoral reforms, which have raised political temperatures in the country.

He said Opposition would only go to the streets on January 4 as a last resort; if Jubilee is not open to dialogue.

Raila urged the Senate, which is expected to convene tomorrow to discuss the contentious amendments, to put the interest of the county first and help resolve the dispute.

He said the Senate should also consider negotiations on the electoral laws, which he said were amended without input from the Opposition.

"We hope that when the Senate meets, they will see the need to go back to negotiations," said Raila.

The Opposition leader accused the Jubilee administration of creating anxiety among Kenyans during the festive season after pushing through amendments to the electoral laws against the wishes of Kenyans.

"We have had several challenges in 2016 but we had hoped that we were going to go for Christmas in a state of tranquillity," said Raila.