Kibicho’s move to ignore Owino call was wise

By: Joseph Mutua Ndonga

Worth Noting:

• The law was very clear that chairman of IEBC would make the final announcement on who have won.
• So, if Kibicho heeded Owino’s call, our country could have exploded. Remember the build of tension had almost reached a boiling point because of the delay to release the final results.
• Kenya had previously witnessed worst post-election violence that would leave many people dead, maimed and thousands of others displaced. The raw and stiff competition for political power among the leading presidential candidates would be identified as the root cause. So, did the top leadership of Azimio wanted to once again burn our country?

I have lately been watching a video of the Embakasi East MP Babu Owino which is circulating in all social media outlets. The MP is being quoted as saying that senior state officials in the outgoing government of President Uhuru Kenyatta frustrated their efforts to have their way during the tallying and verification of the presidential votes at the Bomas of Kenya.

I thought all of us were supporting the candidature of Raila Amolo Odinga, the flag bearer of Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya Coalition Party. I was, however, shocked when I called Karanja Kibicho, then Interior PS, at the tail-end.  I wanted him to immediately arrest Wafula Chabukati, the IEBC chairman but he declined and told me ‘wacha hiyo mchezo’.

The ODM MP’s message was clear. He wanted Azimio supporters to believe that the key allies of the outgoing government abandoned Baba at the eleventh hour.

I disagree.  Dr Kibicho made the right decision and I’m sure he was following the instructions of his boss, President Uhuru Kenyatta.

First, he wanted Kenyans to know that the so-called ‘Deep State’ and ‘System’ never existed. The Uhuru government believed in the democracy, constitutionalism and rule of law.

So, while bearing in mind our democracy is anchored on universal suffrage of one man/woman, one vote, Kenyans had exercised their rights. They had already elected the President of their choice.

The law was very clear that chairman of IEBC would make the final announcement on who have won.

So, if Kibicho heeded Owino’s call, our country could have exploded. Remember the build of tension had almost reached a boiling point because of the delay to release the final results.

Kenya had previously witnessed worst post-election violence that would leave many people dead, maimed and thousands of others displaced. The raw and stiff competition for political power among the leading presidential candidates would be identified as the root cause. So, did the top leadership of Azimio wanted to once again burn our country?

Being a democrat and statesman, President Kenyatta would not have allowed this to happen. Since 2013 when he was first elected into office, he remained consistent and focused on this matter.

Under my watch, never again will the blood of innocent Kenyans be shed due to raw election competitions that were not tailored to further the cause of democracy and rule of law. I hope those who will come after me will continue to build on this.

Uhuru finally kept his word. In aftermath of August 9 polls, he respected the will of the majority of Kenyans and passed the baton to the winner, President William Ruto.

Well, he had openly supported the candidature of Raila Odinga. Kenyans have now spoken and so he had no other option.

During the campaigns, the writing was already on the wall. Raila stood no chance of winning but it seemed his key allies in ODM were not worried. Reason? They believed that the ‘Deep State’ was on their side and so Raila was poised to become the President whether he wins at the ballot or not.

Some of them including his own brother were on record saying that Raila was losing the previous elections because the ‘System’ was not on his side. This time, he will be the President.

Dr Ruto had made serious inroads in Raila’s strongholds and this would be attributed to the two slogans of ‘Hustler Nation’ and ‘Bottom-up economic model’ he had coined. Come the Election Day, he got a good chunk of votes from these regions.

In the Jubilee strongholds, he managed to politically outshine the outgoing President Kenyatta and continued to hold the grip. So, majority of the people here voted for him.

The wave was so strong that he even floored Raila in Uhuru’s home turf of Kiambu including the polling station where he cast his vote. It was the same story at the polling station where Raila’s running mate Martha Karua cast her vote in Gichugu, Kirinyaga County.

Back to Kibicho, he was one of the top officials in the team constituted by Uhuru to manage a smooth transition. As the PS in charge of security, he played his role very well until when the new was sworn in. He deserves respect for his patriotism that saw him choose the path of peace and unity. 

Joseph Mutua Ndonga is a Writer and Political Commentator based in Nairobi