A US official, who heads one of the NGO’s that monitored the August 8 election has explained why President Uhuru Kenyatta is likely to win the fresh presidential election scheduled for October 26.
Speaking during a Washington Think-Tank forum on Monday, International Republican Institute (IRI) Director John Tomaszewski stated that National Super Alliance (NASA) flag bearer Raila Odinga would have to clear a “very, very tall bar" in order to win in the repeat poll.
Mr Tomaszewski noted that President Uhuru Kenyatta had made in-roads into parts of the country where Mr Odinga should have been stronger.
He stated that President Kenyatta had clearly won the election on August 8 even though it was nullified by the Supreme Court.
“The NASA leader is facing a daunting challenge in garnering more votes than his opponent,” Mr Tomaszewski stated.
Tomaszewski added that the already-overheated political rhetoric being used by both Jubilee and NASA partisans will get nastier and more intense as we go into election day.
He added that many Kenyans were eager to put the electoral process behind them.
“There is a growing sentiment that we can no longer be held captive by these two men,” Tomaszewski said in regard to Kenyatta and Odinga.
Tomaszewski has directed a range of IRI projects throughout Africa focused on legislative and political party strengthening, youth and gender inclusion, campaign management, public affairs and subnational governance among others.
