Raila: I am not petitioning poll results to be declared president but pursuing a just democratic cause that aims at restoring the faith of Kenyans in the electoral process

Cord presidential candidate Raila Odinga has said he is not challenging the election outcome because he wants to be declared president. He said he is pursuing a just democratic cause that aims at restoring the faith of Kenyans in the electoral process under the new constitutional dispensation. “Any hesitation to challenge the election outcome would be a betrayal of the new constitution and everything else that Kenyans hold dear,” he said. Raila noted that ‘Kenyans have struggled for far too long and made too many gains in the last two decades to be cowed into submission.’ He said with the current developments, he is a proud Kenyan, standing tall as the country marks a great day in its history. But even as he spoke, Raila asked Kenyans to remain calm and give the court a chance because he has faith in the reformed judiciary. “This is a historic case which is being watched all over Africa and the international community,” he said. Addressing the press outside his office in Nairobi, Raila said he would not bow down and see Kenyans begin a new era under a new constitution in the same old ways. “There is no democratic goal higher than respecting the will of the people to decide whom they want to lead the nation. And barring mass violence, there is no crime higher than subverting the outcome of a presidential election,” he said. He spoke just minutes before the petition challenging the election outcome was filed at the Supreme Court and asked the president elect Uhuru Kenyatta to say publicly that he will accept the ruling. “I have repeatedly indicated my commitment to respect and abide by the Supreme Court ruling. I invite my brother Uhuru to publicly do the same,” he said. The premier exuded confidence that his team has a strong case and asked Kenyans to be peaceful as the lawyers take up the case. He pointed out many anomalies that he said were inconsistent with the election process with multiplicity of the Form 36 and variants of entries in some constituencies on top of the list. He also said there was massive alteration of the files and total disregard of the entries on the files of constituencies by the IEBC. “These results were reflected in the final tally of presidential election results and which were announced without signed verification forms,” Raila said.