Raila: Seven-Judge Supreme Court Can't Represent Voice of 15 Million Voters

Opposition leader Raila Odinga says that the Supreme Court can not represent the voice of 15 million voters who took part in the August 8th general elections.

Speaking during the inauguration ceremony of Mombasa governor Hassan Joho on Tuesday, the former Prime Minister said, " the Supreme Court no matter how wise, can neither represent nor substitute the voice of 15 million people.”

“It is important for Kenyans to understand why we resisted going to court, and why we have reconsidered it,” he said.

“The Supreme Court is made up of seven Judges. The discretion of seven individuals, however wise, can neither represent nor substitute the voice of 15 million people.”

The Orange Democratic Movement party leader said that “Seven individuals can be intimidated, they can be compromised and they can make genuine mistakes.” he was referring to the seven Supreme Court judges.

He said that the opposition had learnt a lesson in 2013 as “Kenyans are still trying to understand what exactly happened in the Supreme Court in 2013 when a decision about their votes was delivered in minutes and a paragraph.”

Raila, who was defeated by President Uhuru Kenyatta in the just concluded election said that regardless the ruling delivered by the court on the petition, Nasa will not tolerate electoral impunity.

“Whichever way the court rules, the petition will not in itself cure electoral impunity. It will not bring to justice those who plotted and executed the theft of our votes. It will not bring to justice those who murdered Chris Musando in order to steal votes.”

He added, “Stealing of elections in Kenya is a manifestation of the culture of political impunity.”

He attacked foreign envoys who were calling on him to concede defeat and move on, after giving the election a clean bill of health.

“Let the agents of foreign powers exhorting us to accept and move on so that they can continue to have lackeys to do their bidding know that we will not accept inferior governance.”

“We will resist and disobey illegitimate computer generated leaders and we will not relent until the voices of the people as expressed through the ballot are heard and respected,” charged the former Prime Minister.

He said that only people’s power will allow “the ambitions of our young, restless and ambitious leaders like Ali Hassan Joho, Peter Munya, Isaac Rutto, Amason Kingi, among others, ever have a chance of rising to the top of our political leadership.”

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