Kenya: Big Three Take Last Lap to Cement Gains
December 25, 2007

With only three days to polling day, the Big Three embarked on their final, high voltage campaigns to cement their gains and win over undecided voters, on a day claims of a rigging plan resurfaced.

Yesterday, ODM-Kenya presidential candidate Mr Kalonzo Musyoka - who has been consistently placed third by pollsters - was putting the icing on his cake with a major rally in Nairobi, while fellow contestants President Kibaki (PNU) and ODM's Mr Raila Odinga addressed rallies in Coast and Western provinces.

Today, President Kibaki and Raila will be in Nairobi to make their last pitch to Kenyans as the official 21 day campaign period draws to a close ahead of Thursday elections in which Kenyans will also be electing civic and parliamentary leaders.

President Kibaki will be at Uhuru Park while Raila - the Head of State's most serious challenger in the hotly contested polls, according to opinion polls - and his ODM team will be at Nyayo Stadium.

Kalonzo took to the podium at Uhuru Park yesterday to declare that he was very much in the race, and that his government, if he wins the election, would fight corruption.

"Fighting corruption must start from the top. That is why I am challenging both Kibaki and Raila to declare their wealth and how they acquired it. If they are unable, they should not get any votes," he added.

Kalonzo said if it wasn't for grand corruption, Kenya would now be a tiger nation at par with Malaysia and Indonesia.

"We missed Kenya moving to the Second Republic when (former President) Moi declared he was following the footsteps of (Kenya's founding President Jomo) Kenyatta," he said, adding that now Kibaki was following suit by declaring that kazi iendelee (Let work continue).

And he wistfully looked back at the campaigns, perhaps the most intensive in the country's history.

"We have fought the fight and kept the faith," said Kalonzo, adding that he was grateful to all Kenyans he met and engaged with during his countrywide campaign tours.

And addressing his last campaign rallies at the Coast, the President took a swipe at his Opposition challengers, telling Kenyans to be wary of leaders pretending to have the solutions to the country's economic and social problems.

"I had these people in the Cabinet and they did not come up with any miracle to solve this country's problems," said Kibaki.

The Head of State appealed to Kenyans to give another term to complete development projects started by his Government.

And Raila asked the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) to disqualify President Kibaki from participating in the General Election for allegedly plotting to use the Provincial Administration to rig the elections.

"I have friends who are officers at the Administration Police Training College in Embakasi and they have confirmed it to me," he said.

Raila said he had personally written to Kibaki and ECK chairman, Mr Samuel Kivuitu, regarding the alleged plot, in which he said some 30,000 APs would be used to rig the poll.

"Kibaki should deny or accept that the claims are true. If Kibaki says he knows nothing then we will ask him to tell us if he has been sleeping," he added.

ODM presidential running mate, Mr Musalia Mudavadi, said Kibaki would not emerge winner even if he uses the Provincial Administration to manipulate the elections.

In Bungoma, Raila accused Kibaki of betraying Kenyans by failing to honour his election pledges.

"He did not fight corruption, tribalism and unemployment among other things as he had promised," he said.

Raila said construction of roads, supply of electricity to rural areas, improving healthcare and education would be his top priority if elected President.

He said his government would recruit 60,000 teachers early next year.

"I know where funds to employ all this teachers will come from," he added.

Kalonzo also claimed there was a plot to steal the General Election, and told his supporters and polling agents to stay put at the polling stations after voting to defeat the alleged scheme.

The former Mwingi North MP told off Police Commissioner Maj-Gen Hussein Ali over his directive that voters must leave polling centres after voting.

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Source: All Africa

 
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