UDA Wants IEBC To Summon IG Mutyambai, Babu Owino Over Jacaranda Chaos

Following chaotic events witnessed on Sunday where two factions clashed and two persons were hurt, the United Democratic Alliance Party has sent a protest letter to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

In a letter signed by UDA Secretary General Veronica Maina, the party expressed its displeasure with the Azimio Coalition’s ‘abuse of national police service.’

“Suffice it to mention, that the Jacaranda grounds were hired by our UDA MP Candidate for Embakasi East Constituency Mr. Francis Mureithi, for the sole purpose of hosting a campaign rally on 19th June, 2022,” complained Ms Maina.

She filed nine complaints against Azimio with the electoral agency 49 days before the general election.

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After Kenya Kwanza and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino claimed to have reserved the venue, a contingent of anti-riot police was deployed to the grounds on Sunday morning to prevent things from getting out of hand.

“Our UDA Embakasi East Parliamentary Candidate reserved and paid for hire of jacaranda ground, a sum of kshs 30,000.00 on 15th June 2022. He was issued with an official acknowledgment Receipt No. 220112126302626493 dated 15th June 2022 by Nairobi County Government. This hire was specifically for use of Jacaranda Grounds on 19th June 2022. Copy of receipt is attached for ease of reference,” she added.

According to the Secretary-General, it was standard procedure for the tents and sound system to be set up for the event on the evening of June 19, 2022, but to their candidate’s surprise and disbelief, the National Police Service deployed a large contingent of officers to block access and prevent them from setting up the venue in preparation for the rally on Sunday, June 19, 2022.

Ms Maina then pointed the finger at the Azimio Coalition.

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“The attempts to block UDA / Kenya Kwanza Coalition Candidate from holding this Campaign rally was intended to support the Azimio Coalition and indeed the ODM/ Azimio parliamentary candidate for Embakasi East, Babu Owino started circulating a letter dated 15th June, 2022 addressed to OCPD Embakasi purporting to make a reservation of Jacaranda Grounds for the same day 19th June 2022,” she continued.

“The letter was stamped as received on 16th June 2022. Notably, the ODM candidate did not demonstrate any payment hire of the Jacaranda grounds intended for use on 19th June 2022,” she lamented.

The sequence and flow of these events, according to UDA, will only lead to one simple conclusion: the National Police Service is being used, misused, and abused by the ODM Party / Azimio Coalition to create tension and cause major interference with peaceful campaigning within the Embakasi East Constituency, and ultimately throughout Kenya.

“The blatant use of Babu Owino’s letterhead clearly overemphasis his overreaching and unacceptable abuse of the National Police Service in blocking our candidates from holding his peaceful campaign meeting scheduled for 19th June 2022.”

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UDA is now demanding that Embakasi East MP Babu Owino be prosecuted.

“His approach is confrontational and militant in nature and action must be taken against Babu Owino including your Commission considering disqualifying him from participating in the race. This is the only way the Commission can send a strong message to the likes of Babu Owino to desist from ever making such an ill motivated move,” she stated.

UDA also wants the IEBC to summon Inspector-General Hillary Mutyambai.

“You must summon the IG with great speed to discuss their role and specific functions during electioneering and campaign period. They must not accept to be used by AZIMIO & ODM political divide. They must remember that Kenya Kwanza stands a higher chance of winning the upcoming Presidential Election hence the need for them to remain act in a restrained fashion and to remain neutral as this will make it easier for them to serve under any Political divide which takes over power in 2022.”