Intelligence Reports Show Raila Will Defeat Ruto in Round One, PS Kibicho Says

Interior Principal Secretary (PS) Karanja Kibicho says Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya coalition presidential flagbearer Raila Odinga will win the August 9th elections in the first round.

Citing data by the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Kibicho indicated that Odinga, who is giving his fifth stab at the presidency, will garner at least 60 percent of the votes cast in the forthcoming elections.

“It is a first round win. This is intelligence data and that’s what its saying. It is about 60 percent,” Kibicho said during an interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday night.

Kibicho claimed Odinga’s main challenger Deputy President William Ruto has been playing politics of perception in a bid to influence the public, insisting that intelligence data shows that Raila is headed for a landslide victory.

“There are people who will make noise and do photo shopping for perception creation which is very far from facts. For us we don’t deal with those perceptions, we deal with facts on the ground and they are saying very different things form the noise,” said Kibicho.

He added: “If you ask me for example what the data is saying today, and because you are entitled to my answer as a public servant, I will give you as it is and the burden of proof then shifts to you. If the data I’ve given you, you think its misleading, then tell me what data you have and from where that says otherwise. You cannot criminalize someone for giving you information you have asked for.”

He noted that the upcoming election is a two-horse race between Odinga and Ruto, with the former garnering 60 percent of the votes, 38 percent for the latter, while the other presidential aspirants will share the remaining 2 percent.

“For us we deal with realities and not perceptions. I am in touch with every village in this country through our national government administration network and we feel the political temperatures of this country.”

“What we are seeing is a situation where people start playing victims, creating a perception by making claims of rigging, but what these people are trying to do is to set stage. We know when the stage is being set as it is done through giving inaccurate information to create false perceptions,” Kibicho said.

At the same time, the principal secretary accused Ruto, who is eyeing the presidency under the UDA party and Kenya Kwanza Alliance, of losing touch with the government he serves.

“He is in government but has lost touch with it. He is promising to revive Kenya Meat Commission which was revived long time ago and is working. He says that when he becomes president, he will reduce the price of fertilizer from Sh5,000 to Sh3,000 but government reduced that long time ago to Sh2,600. This means we have a person who has completely lost touch with a government he works for,” he added.

On vote-rigging allegations, Kibicho termed President Kenyatta as a firm believer in the rule of law and cannot allow the will of the people to be subverted.

“This election will be won on round one and the government has no plans whatsoever to interfere with the August elections. There can’t be. President Kenyatta believes in the rule of law and democracy and is not a person who can sit in a room and tell you to manipulate the will of the people. The rule of the people shall prevail on August 9 2022,” he added.