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NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 11 – Raila Odinga Presidential Campaign Secretariat has condemned allegations that Suna East Member of Parliament Junet Mohamed precipitated the Azimio leader’s downfall in the presidential election by misappropriating campaign funds meant for agents.
Since August 15 when William Ruto was announced as president-elect, Mohamed has been on the receiving end of accusations that he looted money meant for agents which allegedly led to rigging in different polling stations.
Odinga’s Campaign Secretariat spokesperson Makau Mutua however denied the claims terming them as propaganda aimed at maligning the name of the Azimio La
Umoja Secretary General.
“Let me state without equivocation that Hon Mohamed was a campaign lead in the field supporting the Rt Hon Raila Odinga. He at no time- even once-handled funds meant for agents. Nor did Mr Mohamed have anything whatsoever to do with the management of agents,” Mutua stated in a statement.
“The issue was managed by a dedicated and hardworking team. Our view is that the staff did a largely successful job in a challenging environment,” he said.
Mutua further defended those who actively participated in the campaign Secretariat who include Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elizabeth Meyo for misappropriating funds aimed for Odinga’s agent.
“We acknowledge there is disappointment about how the election was conducted by the IEBC and with the decision of the Supreme Court,” he stated.
“But malicious allegations against Hon Mohamed and any of the Secretariat staff including our CEO Elizabeth Meyo who worked so hard and selflessly should be beneath the dignity of every person.”
Mutua further clarified that Odinga’s loss was not occasioned by the failure to deploy agents across the 46,229 polling stations.
He averred that it was the responsibility of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to ensure the polls were tamper proof.
“Importantly, let me state clearly that the issue of agents was not the cause of a bungled election. We must appreciate that it is not the responsibility of candidates to protect the vote, or conduct a free and fair election,” he said.
“That constitutional duty lies squarely with the IEBC working in concert with relevant institutions. No one should blame Azimio or our candidates for stolen votes or a fatally flawed election,” he added.
Mutua mentioned that despite the disappointment following the outcome of the August 9 polls and the subsequent verdict of the Supreme Court, the new battle front will be the transformation of key institutions while in the opposition.
“In particular, we must work to clean up and transform institutions that are tasked with safeguarding our democracy. We will be saying more about this in the near future,” Mutua said.
