Uhuru and Ruto push for numbers in their campaigns

Deputy President William Ruto and Presdent Uhuru Kenyatta

Just five days to the repeat presidential election, President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto have intensified campaigns across the country.

Saturday, President Kenyatta and Ruto will pitch camp in Narok and Kajiado before a national prayer meeting in Afraha Stadium, Nakuru County, tomorrow and the final rally in Nairobi on Monday.

As the duo covers the last three counties, a caravan of UhuRuto Express that brings together governors, sitting and former legislators who are in five groups, will be touring another 10 counties in a massive vote hunt, according to former Gichugu MP Njogu Barua.

By Monday, the group will have covered 43 counties in the last one month as they seek to push for high turnout in the poll.

Behind the rejuvenated campaigns is the push for numbers as Jubilee Party hopes to ensure Uhuru gets millions of votes. According to a senior Jubilee leader who sought anonymity, a poor turnout will give Raila Odinga and NASA a reason to question the legitimacy of Uhuru’s victory.

“If we have a high turnout we will deny NASA any room to question Uhuru’s victory, but if the electorate do not come out to vote in large numbers, they will get room to pester us with legitimacy issues,” he said.  

Their fear is that a low turnout would be an endorsement of NASA’s election boycott.

Two weeks ago, Raila withdrew from the repeat election that Supreme Court ordered after the nullification of the August 8 poll. The NASA leader has insisted that the election would not be free and fair and he would therefore not participate in it. The former premier has repeatedly said there will be no election without the “irreducible minimum” demands that they presented to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

But in an interview with the Saturday Standard, Jubilee Party vice chairman David Murathe said their intention is to have over 10 million Kenyans vote for Uhuru so that a clear message is sent across the country.

“There will be an election on October 26 and the turnout will be big. We have campaigned in all the regions in the country and people are optimistic, they are tired of all the circus by NASA and they want to move on,” Murathe said.

He said the turnout in Jubilee strongholds will be near 100 per cent as most Kenyans want this election to be done with so that the country can move forward.

“The uncertainty is hurting the economy and everything seems to be at a standstill. Kenyans want to progress, not stagnation and negative energy that the Opposition has been treating the country to,” he said.

Yesterday, during the Mashujaa Day celebrations at Uhuru Park, President Kenyatta vowed to ensure Kenyans go to the poll on Thursday in spite doubts and threats against the exercise.

The President said more security forces have been mobilised and will be deployed to protect those who will wake up to cast their ballot.

He warned that no one will be spared if they attempt to stop the election. He called on those who do not want to vote on Thursday to stay away from polling stations and allow others to exercise their rights, as no right supersedes the other.

“The law will apply equally to all regardless of social class, political position and no one will be spared. For those who thrive in chaos and relish anarchy, your days are numbered; the law will take its course and sanction you accordingly,” he said.

Regrettable events

“We vowed never to repeat the regrettable events that almost sunk us. We must, therefore, wake up and say no to any misleading leader out to plunge Kenya into chaos. Kenyans have the choice and means of resisting such leaders and their evil schemes, and should do it now,” he said.

With the Opposition insisting there will be no election and calling for mass action on October 26, Uhuru said much as the Constitution guarantees these rights, the State will not spare those who use the demos to perpetuate impunity and create anarchy.

“Our Constitution guarantees all Kenyans the right to demonstrate peacefully. My Government will uphold this right. Let me however add this right will be guaranteed to those operating within the confines of the law. As a modern State, Kenya must be guided by the rule of law.”

“As we prepare for the presidential election on October 26, it is important that we maintain peace, just as we did and have done before. Voting to elect leaders of our choice is a right that was hard won by our forefathers, which we must guard jealously.”

Ruto said next week’s repeat poll is no longer about the right to choose a leader but to protect the right to vote.

“Next Thursday, we go back to the ballot not to choose the president we want, not to choose the policies we want, but to defend our democracy and our Constitution,” said the DP.

During their campaigns in the counties, the call for high voter turnout has come out of Uhuru’s and Ruto’s lips even much more than the request for votes.

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