The Star 10/21/2017

Opposition leader Raila Odinga will on October 25 issue a statement giving his supporters the way forward concerning the repeat presidential polls. Raila has said there will be no election next Thursday, and urged Kenyans of goodwill not to participate. “On Wednesday, I will talk to Kenya and I will tell you what you should do ahead of the polls,” Raila said when he addressed mourners at a funeral service in Bondo on Friday. He urged his supporters not to attack traders and supporters of President Uhuru Kenyatta, saying they are innocent and suffering too. “I want to tell my people not to revenge against any Kikuyu man here in Bondo or anywhere else, that Kikuyu or Kalenjin is also suffering as you are suffering,” Raila said. Raila said the…

NTSA Orders bad lights done away with The National Transport and Safety Authority has directed matatu operators to do away with destructive lights, graffiti and noisy exhaust pipes. Failing which, they will be banned, it added. Many matatus have loud music, flashy lights and graffiti. These have been a source of controversy, pitting some passengers against touts. See Page 16 RAILA ODINGA Has no issue with Chebukati Opposition leader Raila Odinga has told Bungoma residents he has no issue with their son and IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati. He told residents his focus is on having the IEBC reformed before a repeat presidential election is held. “We know you Bukusus came on August 8 and voted overwhelmingly for Baba, but your victory was stolen.” See Page 22 PRESIDENT UHURU GOKDelivers ads…

One could easily confuse this year’s Mashujaa Day celebrations for a political rally because of the huge, ecstatic crowd that attended the event. As early as 7am, routes leading to Uhuru Park, the event’s venue, were already crowded with Kenyans from all walks of life – the old, young, rich, poor – streaming into the grounds to the mark the eighth Mashujaa Day fete. Some carried miniature Kenyan flags with others literally donning the country’s flag to express their patriotism. Others were in Jubilee Party branded clothes. The intermittent sunny and cloudy weather provided a conducive atmosphere for the crowd. “This is our country and we must celebrate our heroes and heroines for what they have done to this country,” John Kamau, a citizen, said. Security officers drawn from all…

INTERIOR Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i (pictured) is a man under the radar of civil society. After his Chinkororo gaffe, where he publicly admitted to being a member of the proscribed sect, some civil society actors were heard saying there is already enough of a dossier to prosecute him. This comes in the backdrop of the police massacres in Luo Nyanza, which critics have termed ethnic cleansing. A Jubilee-leaning group has invited the ICC to prosecute the top opposition leaders. But the activists believe the case may just turn against the Jubilee leaders. The tough-talking CS, hailed for reforming the education sector, was caught on camera saying he can order the police to look the other way and allow Chinkororo to rough up those opposed to next week’s presidential election. A…

A showdown looms between the state and the opposition after President Uhuru Kenyatta once again declared that the repeat presidential vote is unstoppable. In a stern Mashujaa Day message targetted at opposition chief Raila Odinga and his NASA brigade, Uhuru vowed to crush those attempting to sabotage the polls, irrespective of their social status. Uhuru disclosed that security has been enhanced and appropriately deployed to counter any threats to national security during and after the election. But Raila –– buoyed by the confessions of top IEBC bosses that the commission could not guarantee free and fair polls –– insisted there would be no election on Thursday next week. The extreme and irreconcilable positions taken by the country’s top political leaders who command millions of followers, was the clearest signal the…

All peace-loving Kenyans have been horrified by developments at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission over the last 48 hours. First was Commissioner Roselyn Akombe’s resignation and escape to the USA. As she has explained, a majority of her former colleagues at the Commission have absconded their oath of office and turned so politically partisan that her continued presence among them was adding no value to the preparations for the October 26 election. Her honest assessment is that the IEBC, as currently constituted, cannot conduct any election that meets the standard set by the Supreme Court ruling of September 1. She has told the world that the so-called election being organized by the IEBC is a sham. She has shared inside information revealing how the IEBC has been hijacked and…