Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga yesterday told off Chief Justice Willy Mutunga for saying he was 'offended and hurt' by claims of bribery leveled against the Supreme Court over its ruling on the presidential petition.Raila said many Kenyans were “offended” by the ruling which unanimously upheld the IEBC's declaration that Uhuru Kenyatta won the March 4 presidential election.
SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY IBRAHIM ORUKO
Raila accused the court of treating his petition "unjustly' by striking out Cord's 800-page evidence with "the stroke of the pen.'
“If the CJ feels offended (by claims of bribery) he must know that many more Kenyans are offended (by the Supreme Court ruling) than him.”
He said he accepted the ruling because the Supreme Court is the final arbiter in such disputes. "But I have a right to disagree with the findings of the court,” said Raila on arrival from the UK where he attended the Times CEO Africa Summit in London.
In an interview with BBC just before leaving for home, Raila said he had marshaled a formidable legal team which included top lawyers from South Africa and the US. The US advisors included several of those who represented former President George W Bush during the 2000 election challenge by Al Gore.
“When all these legal brains saw the kind of evidence we had put up, they told us that, in their view, we shall get a re-run at worst. They also thought that the court would censor the IEBC and all those involved in the manipulation of the results. But it was never to be,” he said.
Raila talked of having "come to terms" with the Supreme Court's decision and even though he was 'disappointed' with it, he was not 'bitter.' He talked of a "big load" having been removed from his back and felt "relieved, happy."
On arrival, Raila urged his supporters not to be 'discouraged' by the verdict as the Cord alliance and its affiliates would remain strong.
“Kuvunjika kwa mwiko sio mwisho was kupika.Mwiko umevunjika lakini tutahakikisha tumepika ugali wetu na tule, ((breaking of the cooking stick is not the end of cooking. The cooking stick is broken but we shall ensure that our food is prepared and served)," he added.
He said he was still consulting further on his possible return to Parliament and promised to make a formal announcement soon.
Last night, government spokesman Muthui Kariuki issued a statement condemning a report carried in the Times of London newspaper in which Raila is quoted as claiming that the Supreme Court was compromised.
He said the claims by the former PM were "at the least a serious lack of respect for our Institutions" and asked that anybody, including Raila, should furnish the government with any information to prove their claims and for 'appropriate action' to be taken.
Muthui also criticized the newspaper for 'taking a joke too far' by claiming that there will be violence in Kenya if President Uhuru Kenyatta continues to favor his ethnic group.
"There was never going to be any violence, there won’t be and there shall never again be violence in Kenya irrespective of how Kenyans vote. 2007/8 was too bitter a pill to swallow and we have learnt our lesson,"Muthui added.
No comments:
Post a Comment