Raila Odinga rejects date for repeat presidential poll
What you need to know:
Mr Odinga, on Tuesday said he would not accept the date because the electoral body Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) failed to consult him and other stakeholder as stipulated in law.
He also demanded legal and constitutional guarantees from IEBC that the repeat poll will be free and fair before the commission carries on with its preparations.
He particularly demanded audit of technology used to transmit election results.
Kenya opposition National Super Alliance (Nasa) leader Raila Odinga has rejected the October 17 date set by the electoral commission for the repeat presidential poll.
Mr Odinga, on Tuesday said he would not accept the date because the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) failed to consult him and other stakeholders as stipulated in law.
The date, Mr Odinga claimed, was set by the ruling Jubilee Party and not IEBC.
Speaking in Nairobi, Mr Odinga, who was seeking presidency for the fourth time on August 8, also demanded legal and constitutional guarantees from IEBC that the repeat poll will be free and fair before the commission carries on with its preparations.
Accompanied by his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka and co-principals Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang'ula, Mr Odinga said IEBC had not complied with the Supreme Court order of conducting "a free, fair and verifiable election".
Mr Odinga reiterated his call for staff and system changes at the at the commission, saying there would be no repeat election if the changes are not done.
He particularly demanded an audit of the technology used to transmit election results.
The law
"It is therefore inappropriate and foolhardy for IEBC to embark on the planning of a fresh elections without full compliance with the Supreme Court orders and in the redeployment of technology in the fresh presidential election,” he said.
“We therefore demand audit of technology in full compliance with the law.”
Mr Odinga also wants a review of the register of voters and polling stations, saying there were discrepancies in the voters list during the August 8 poll.
Further, the opposition wants IEBC to give access to and to publish all reports of the transaction logs of persons who used the Kenya Integrated Electoral Management System (KIEMS) and those identified through complementary methods.
"There will be no elections on the 17th unless these our demands are met," Mr Odinga said.
The Nasa leaders spoke at the Wilson Airport as they prepared to leave for Kisii and Nyamira, in southwestern Kenya, to chase votes.
