| PHOTO: | Government spokesman Eric Kiraithe addresses media at the KICC in Nairobi, August 24, 2017. /JOSEPH NDUNDA |
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By:
JOSEPH NDUNDA
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| Posted:
Aug,25-2017 10:45:51
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The Kenya government has dismissed NASA strategist David Ndii, saying he is free to relocate to Somalia if displeased with the elections outcome.
After the August 8 poll, IEBC announced that Uhuru Kenyatta defeated Opposition leader Raila Odinga with more than 1.4 million votes.
But Ndii, who is NASA strategist and an economist, said the coalition is well prepared for mass action over claims over rigging.
"If change cannot come through the ballot, it will come through the bullet."
The government responded to Ndii's remarks on Thursday, in a press statement by spokesperson Eric Kiraithe at the KICC in Nairobi.
Kiraithe touched on secession, a narrative to split Kenya into Jubilee- and NASA-controlled regions, that has swept the country as the Opposition talks tough that mass action is on the cards.
A petition, its promoters undisclosed, is already being signed online. The intention is to table it for consideration in the African Union's judicial arm, the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights.
"If every time the candidate you support loses the election there is a secession, to provide him with the presidency through a section that supported him, what would happen to democracies like the US, UK and Kenya after these leaders are no longer viable? Is it that they will secede again?" the spokesperson asked.
"Countries and nations are not about individual leaders. Political opinions are political opinions. For the people expressing that political opinion, it must be good for them but you cannot tell what is good for them in that opinion. So you leave them and they are entitled to that."
Kiraithe said security forces will be keen on actions that may threaten national stability.
"As a government, we have no intention or obligation of engaging political activists. They have their opinions but where they threaten security, security forces will be watching. As far as entitlement to your ideas is concerned, you can even decide to migrate and go to Somalia," he said.
"That is the country where we have as many states as we have competing leaders, and maybe Libya and a few other examples we shudder to give because it is unfortunate for the progress of humankind."
Ndii said that in societies where avenues of legitimate political dissent are closed, people will take up arms.
He said the National Super Alliance will not relent and give in to fear but will continue to resist even if police shoot at them.
"We will call for mass action. That is a definite. We have been calling for mass action since 1991 and we will not stop as long as some people try to restore dictatorship," he stated.
Raila and his team filed a petition against Uhuru's win at the Supreme Court.
The court warned against determining the matter in other settings and asked stakeholders and the public to keep from issuing remarks or taking actions that could affect their work and the country's status.
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