Chief Justice (Rtd) Willy Mutunga says that there is a high probability of Deputy President William Ruto and former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, forming a Grand Coalition Government after the 2022 polls.
Mutunga, who is seen a leader in judicial activism, while speaking on Citizen TV on Wednesday, March 9, opined that the two may share power upon mediation by foreign powers. This probability, however, relies on one of the two leaders contesting the results which will jeopardise peace efforts in the country.
“One of the two factions will win and if there is the threat of peace, the foreign interests will just tell us to have another handshake thus we should expect Raila Odinga and DP Ruto to have another handshake,” Mutunga stated.
He reiterated that the contests will be a two-horse race between Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza alliance and Raila’s Azimio La Umoja and any other presidential aspirant should settle for something less. Other coalitions, he claimed, were out to cause mayhem and are catalysts for chaos.
“OKA (One Kenya Alliance) is a project and the angle they are playing is dangerous because it makes elections pretty close and allows rigging of elections,” Mutunga warned.
His sentiments come a few days after Raila told OKA that he would not force them to join his Azimio La Umoja movement. Wiper leader, Kalonzo Musyoka, a co-principal in OKA, had argued that Raila signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to endorse him in 2022.
The disputed MoU caused a crisis in Azimio’s talks with Kalonzo urging President Uhuru Kenyatta to mediate between him and Raila.
Speaking on election malpractice, Mutunga, alleged that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has always been at fault for conducting biased and controversial elections.
The retired Chief Justice, who handled the 2013 election petition in which the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Uhuru over Raila, warned the IEBC from being coerced by politicians to interfere with elections.
“Let IEBC do what it normally does. It has never delivered any fair elections, historically. It is not its mistake. The political faction tries to control IEBC. All it has to do is resist the influence,” Mutunga urged.
Citizen TV anchor, Waihiga Mwaura, who hosted Mutunga on the Day Break show, nonetheless, stepped in and called upon the ex-Chief Justice to cut IEBC some slack.
The commission, led by chairperson, Wafula Chebukati, has also defended itself in the recent past, stating that it delivers credible, free and fair elections. IEBC summoned Murang’a County Woman Representative Sabina Chege to clarify her remarks on alleged voter rigging in the 2013 and 2017 elections.
It also stated that it will summon DP Ruto to explain his claims on a plan to rig his votes in the upcoming August 8 polls.
Mutunga further warned the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Martha Koome to be ready to handle a presidential petition in August 2022.
“There definitely will be a presidential petition and they should be ready to deal with it. Any decision they make will please one group and be rejected by another. Supreme Court should be aware of that and they will follow the Constitution and the law,” Mutunga foresaw.
He added that he and other activists are pushing for a transformational agenda that will educate Kenyans, aid in monitoring elections and champion peace.
“It's our opportunity to tell the people that the other politicians will not change the country. We are convening a message that Kenyans don’t want to hear now as they are committed to politics of division and ethnicity and see politicians as some gods sent to save them.
“The civil society is active and well but if we are looking at it being politically organized, that’s not the case. The Transformational agenda movement is not aligned to any political fraction,” he explained.
