- Title: Kenya opposition rejects imminent announcement of presidential vote
- Date: 11th August 2017
- Summary: NAIROBI, KENYA (AUGUST 11, 2017) (REUTERS) NASA OFFICIALS STANDING SENATOR JAMES OREMGO NASA DEPUTY CHIEF AGENT ON THE PHONE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENIOR NASA (NATIONAL SUPER ALLIANCE) COALITION OFFICIAL MUSALIA MUDAVADI SAYING: "We raised some very serious concerns. They have not responded to them and the chairman has told us that whatever we raised they shall respond to us after the event. Therefore, as far as they are concerned, as a commission they have made up their mind, they want to make a declaration. Therefore, we are saying we are not going to be party to it. Our issues have not been addressed. So as NASA we shall not be party to the process they are about to make." (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENATOR JAMES OREMGO, NASA CHIEF AGENT SAYING: "This has been an entire charade, this is a disaster, you do not just hold an election for the sake of it, and the election is not about announcing winners and losers. Elections is a process, it's about participation, it's about exercise of political rights, it’s about the right of the minority and of the individual being elevated to equal the right of even the majority." (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENATOR JAMES OREMGO, NASA CHIEF AGENT SAYING: "Going to court, for us is not an alternative. We have been here before. It's not an alternative. But we think within the framework of the Kenyan constitution and with the jury out there we are the sovereign, who are the Kenyan people who have never really disappointed. Every time a Kenyan has been killed, assassinated the Kenyan people have stood for the truth. Every time an election has been stolen the Kenyan people have stood up to make sure that changes are made to make Kenya a better place. So, me I have a great hope with the Kenyan people." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENATOR JAMES OREMGO, NASA CHIEF AGENT SAYING: "Kenyans always rise up, the resilience of Kenyans to deal with impunity, to deal with the violation of their rights, every time those rights have been trampled upon, they've always risen up, unlike those who profit on people's blood and sweat. We know the current government and the people who constitute this government, have nothing to show about briNging this new constitutional order and yet they are prepared to violate it without thinking about the consequences." SENATOR JAMES OREMGO, SAYING: "We have walked out".
- Embargoed: 25th August 2017 20:11
- Keywords: Kenyan election NASA oppositon Uhuru Kenyatta Raila Odinga Kenya protest
- Location: NAIROBI, KENYA
- City: NAIROBI, KENYA
- Country: Kenya
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA0016TPREPZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS WHITE FLASHES TO SEPARATE SOUNDBITES
Just as the Electoral Commission announced Uhuru Kenyatta had won Kenya's presidential election, the NASA opposition said it would "not be party" to the announcement because their concerns about the election had not been addressed.
"We raised some very serious concerns, they have not responded to them," said senior opposition official Musalia Mudavadi.
James Orengo, the chief election agent for the opposition alliance said going to court over the result was not an option, adding the Kenyan people "always rise up".
The Kenya election commission declared incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta had won a second and final five-year term taking 54.27 percent of the vote, with opposition leader Raila Odinga taking 44.74 percent, said election commission head Wafula Chebukati.
Odinga's camp has previously disputed the count and said it would accept the election result only if allowed to see raw data on the commission's computer servers. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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