ODM leader Raila Odinga Tuesday taunted the Jubilee Alliance
Party for the loss the new political outfit linked to the President
suffered at the hands of the Opposition in the Kajiado Central
by-election.
Speaking at a thanksgiving rally in
Kajiado town, Mr Odinga said ODM’s victory represented the death of the
Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP), just two months after it was formed from a
union of the governing TNA and URP coalition. He said that with the
defeat “everything about it is all dead now”.
“They
killed URP and TNA so they can bring here a new baby called JAP. But
even their new baby is now dead. We are telling them that Kajiado is not
where they bring the dead (parties) for burial,” he said amid cheers
from supporters at the KCB grounds.
Mr Odinga accused
JAP and its leaders of trying to influence voters with money. He was
with other leaders in the Coalition for Reform and Democracy (Cord) that
included Mr Kalonzo Musyoka, Senator Johnson Muthama and Kajiado
Governor David ole Nkedianye, among others.
LARGELY PEACEFUL
They
were celebrating the election of Mr Elijah Memusi who on Monday
garnered 16,008 votes to defeat Mr Patrick Tutui of JAP, who had 15,508.
The contest between the two had been tight.
On Monday,
the elections were largely peaceful but three men were arrested outside
polling stations with bundles of cash. ODM officials claimed that the
men had been bribing voters.
The three men were later released after they pledged to honour a police summons.
Kajiado Police Boss Samuel Kumuut told the Nation
the case was now under investigation by the Directorate of Criminal
Investigations and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
Mr
Odinga led a road show through the streets of Kajiado, joined by Mr
Memusi’s supporters who had congregated in groups to celebrate their
candidate’s victory.
The political repercussions of
JAP’s defeat sent shock waves among political leaders in Kajiado,
especially since the JAP candidate was heavily supported during the
campaigns.
President Uhuru Kenyatta campaigned for him
before leaving the country for an official visit to Japan while Deputy
President William Ruto was in the area on three different occasions,
accompanied by various Jubilee leaders.
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