The Kenyan Chief of Defence Forces Samson Mwathethe has responded to NASA Presidential candidate Raila Odinga's claims of election rigging.
Mwathethe dismissed Odinga's allegations that a number of soldiers were being trained to be recruited as election officials in order to rig the August polls.
Speaking during a training session at the Embakasi Garrison, Mwathethe declared that the Kenyan soldiers would not be involved in politics and would perform their duties as expected before, during and after the elections.
Addressing the same issue, Defence Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo stated that KDF would remain non-partisan during the polls.
“KDF will remain apolitical during the electoral process. They will discharge their mandate without fear, favour or ill will. KDF will not run in the face of intimidation from any quarter,” stated Omamo.
At the same time, Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery warned politicians against dragging the military into politics adding that they would not be intimidated while executing their duties.
The three were responding following the remarks made by Odinga who claimed that soldiers had been selected and would be used to manipulate the polls.
He claimed that some KDF commanders and senior security agents had convened several meetings to strategise on how President Uhuru Kenyatta would hold onto to power after the August Election.
