Deputy president has said that the real problem with elections in Kenya is people who do not accept defeat.
The DP argued most of these people use the electoral commission (IEBC) as a scapegoat.
DP @WilliamsRuto personal final touches on his @ChathamHouse remarks to be delivered in a few. #FacingTheFutureWithCourage pic.twitter.com/AIlkeMlJeb
— Dennis Itumbi, HSC (@OleItumbi) February 8, 2019
“… the problem is the people who refuse the outcome of elections. That is when they run amok. Going forward we should only allow democrats to participate in the elections,” he said.
Ruto made the remarks while delivering a speech at Chatham House in London on Friday.
Although he did not mention anyone in particular, it was clear the DP was referring to ODM party leader Raila Odinga in the recent past has contested presidential election results.
In 2017, President Uhuru Kenyatta won the August 8 election but Raila successfully contested the results at the Supreme Court.
The court then ordered for fresh polls on October 26 in which Raila boycotted citing lack of reforms at IEBC and gave a list of “irreducible minimums”.
“I believe very strongly that in our politics, IEBC is the least of our problems. We have used IEBC as a convenient ‘excuse’ for those who do not win elections,” Ruto said.
“If you go to an election and you expect to win then you have a problem. The real problem according to me from where I sit is that we have people who do not believe in participating in democratic elections,” he said.
“… we had won more seats in every category. How was it possible that we lost the election? It does not make sense but as democrats, we went back.”
Uhuru and Raila were the main contenders in the 2013 and 2017 election that attracted eight candidates.
However, Uhuru-Raila handshake has buried their differences as the two leaders have vowed to work together towards creating a more stable country politically.
