Kikuyu elders speak on Raila Odinga choice for presidency “Our community made an emotional decision”
Kikuyu elders speak on Raila Odinga choice for presidency claiming the Mt Kenya people made an emotional decision at the ballot.
On Sunday, the Kikuyu Council of Elders acknowledged that before deciding to support the Azimio la Umoja coalition and its presidential nominee Raila Odinga, it had not accurately analyzed the political atmosphere in the Mt. Kenya region.
The results, which saw Deputy President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance surpass Azimio by decisively taking over the region’s political soul, are cause for reflection, according to the council’s chairman, Mr. Wachira Kiago.
“We concede defeat but that is not to say we were wrong. Just like the way Jesus Christ who was a messiah was crucified by the decision of the majority, it turned out that the majority are not always right,” he said.
Mr. Kiago claimed that the council of elders does not make choices based on emotions or the will of the people but rather assesses the issue and provides advice based on wisdom.
He claimed that some people are mocking the elders for taking a political stance that the electorate utterly rejected.
“We said we supported President Uhuru Kenyatta to be our kingpin even after retiring. We settled for supporting Raila Odinga as the most ideal presidential candidate to succeed Kenyatta. That remains the wisest stand for our community regardless of the outcome of the vote,” he said.
“Our community made an emotional decision and it is a matter of time before they sober up and see our point,” he said.
“Our people will soon see the grave mistake they made to sell their souls to William Ruto and trusting their fate in his hands without even [having] a political party of their own,” he added.
However, a Kikuyu elders splinter group led by President Kenyatta’s first cousin Kung’u Muigai said “the decision that our voters took was genius”.
He said that Mr. Kiago and his group pursued their own interests in endorsing Raila Odinga for the presidency.
“As it is always the case when all dealings in the cover of darkness get bared, it has now emerged that all along, they had no people behind their political declarations,” Muigai said.
“It is ridiculous to say that you represent the people and they are behind your declarations only to be left standing by yourself when the vote is called,” he added.
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Rigging claims begin as Kenyan media slow tally of votes in tight presidential race
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