UhuRuto buying votes with IDP money, NASA claims

NASA flag bearer Raila Odinga and his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka at a campaign rally in Voi town. [Photo: Dennis Kavisu, Standard]

The National Super Alliance (NASA) has asked the electoral commission to take action against Jubilee over vote-buying and pledged far-reaching reforms to address the prickly issue of land injustices at the Coast, Nyanza and Western regions.

Campaigning at the Coast Friday, the team called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to investigate President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto for alleged voter inducement.

They cited the payment of integrated Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in Kisii this week as a case that needs to be investigated because of its timing.

Mineral wealth

Musalia Mudavadi, the head of NASA campaign team, charged that the exercise was suspect and amounted to voter-inducement which is an electoral malpractice.

“We are calling on the IEBC to look at the issue and take action. Jubilee had four years to address the situation, it is therefore not right for them to use money to hoodwink the IDPs who suffered inhuman treatment. They should have paid them several years back,” Mudavadi said.

The team also questioned why the Government was only waking up now to compensate thousands of integrated IDPs in Nyanza and Western regions who have never returned to their farms after they were uprooted during the 2007-08 post-election violence.

“The President and his deputy are busy using state resources, distributing title deeds and compensating IDPs in Kisii and other counties at this time of electioneering period. They are committing an election offense and IEBC should take action against them,” NASA running mate Kalonzo Musyoka said.

The alliance also promised to address historical land injustices meted against poor Kenyans and accused President Kenyatta of frustrating residents of the Coast and denying them the right to their land and mineral wealth.

Drumming up support for NASA in Taita Taveta County, NASA principal Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka, Mudavadi and Moses Wetang’ula assured locals that they would implement the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) report to end the thorny issue of squatters at the Coast “where huge chunks of land had illegally been allocated to powerful individuals”.

“The Jubilee administration is not willing to address historical land injustices meted against certain communities like the Taitas and Tavetas. It is only a NASA government that will address land reforms to ensure that all squatters are given land to improve their wellbeing,” Raila said in Taveta town.

Raila and his co-principals addressed rallies in different parts of the county, where most people are squatters. In the evening, the leaders joined Muslims for an Iftar dinner in Mombasa.

Addressing supporters in in Taveta, Wundanyi, Mwatate and Voi towns, the team accused the Jubilee administration of failing to address land matters at the Coast and impoverishing the country by destroying the economy and killing the tourism industry.

They said it was wrong for residents to continue living as squatters in their own land while a few powerful individuals occupy huge and unutilised land and mining fields.

Wetang’ula said President Kenyatta frustrated progressive policies and legislation drawn to enable locals to benefit from mineral wealth in their areas.

Accountable leadership

Raila and Kalonzo addressed a joint rally in Taveta while Mudavadi and Wetangula addressed a rally in Wundanyi. The four then came together in Mwatate and Voi towns, where they addressed thousands of their supporters and promised desirable land reforms.

Raila pledged that a NASA government will ensure county governments are fully funded to protect devolution. He said his administration would ensure that 45 per cent of the total revenue is allocated to counties annually to help create wealth for poverty and unemployment alleviation when they ascend to power.

Kalonzo said they will deploy five people in every polling station in the country to avert rigging.

“There is no way Jubilee will beat NASA. We have 10 million votes to win the August election,” he said.

“We have a good manifesto and we have the people. Kenyans should join hands with NASA to remove a corrupt administration and put in place an accountable leadership,” Mudavadi said.

Accompanying the principals were Senator James Orengo, governors Amason Kingi and Kivutha Kibwana, MPs Thomas Mwadeghu (Wundanyi), Andrew Mwadime (Mwatte), Jones Mlolwa (Voi) Junet Mohammed (Suna East) and former Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim.

Also present were aspirants for the county governor’s seat Granton Samboja and Jacinta Mwatela among others.