Raila Rubbishes Ruto’s Vote-rigging Claims, Says He Has Sensed Defeat

Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya coalition party presidential candidate Raila Odinga has exuded confidence that he will win the upcoming elections by a wide margin.

Odinga, 77, rubbished Deputy President William Ruto’s claims that there is a plot to rig the August 9th election in his favor, saying the UDA party presidential candidate has sensed defeat.

The ODM party leader pointed out that he enjoys support from all parts of the country while his main competitor cannot garner enough votes to win the forthcoming elections.

"Nimesikia huyo jama wa Tangatanga (Ruto) analia kuna njama ya kuiba kura. Ati ooh kura yangu imeibiwa. Ati ooh wamebadilisha wapiga kura. Kura yako (Ruto) iko wapi? Ameshaona mawingu yametanda. Yeye Tayari ameshaona dalili ya kwamba anaenda kushindwa," said Odinga.

Odinga, who spoke during a series of campaign rallies in Makueni County on Tuesday, was referring to the recent remarks by Ruto, who alleged that nearly one million votes from his strongholds had been expunged from the voters’ register.

The deputy president made the claims during a breakfast meeting with European Union (EU) envoys where he called on the EU and other bodies to join the quest in ensuring free and fair elections.

“We expect that everybody who is concerned including the EU to try and get as much detail as possible both from the electoral commission and these public officials on what all this is all about and how did close to a million names disappear from the register. And many of those names are from what we consider our stronghold. It is a clear attempt to try some monkey games,” said Ruto.

"It is obvious and clear to us that there are functionaries in government who want to undermine the capacity of the IEBC to deliver a credible and transparent democratic election.”