Every Kenyan including myself has had to pay a bribe to get things done in Kenya, Cord leader Raila Odinga has said.
“The question is ‘when’, it’s not ‘if’, Raila said adding that while in government, he was “offered bribes” but he always “resisted” taking them.
Raila said
he will “certainly” jail corrupt officials if he is elected President in 2017 general elections.
The opposition leader was speaking to Al Jazeera English’s Mehdi Hasan during an interview at the Oxford Union in April.
Raila was joined by a panel of three experts: Nic Cheeseman, Professor at the African Studies Centre at Oxford University; Agnes Gitau, commentator and trade and investment advisor; and Parselelo Kantai, editor of The New African.
He further said the
collapse of the ICC trial of DP William Ruto would have “been better if he went through a full trial and then discharged for lack of evidence” rather than being acquitted on grounds of a mistrial.
ICC Trial Chamber judges found no to sustain the cases against Ruto and journalist Joshua Sang.
Raila hit out at the Uhuru
administration for an “intolerable amount of interference” in the ICC case.
The Cord leader also criticised the African Union for having a “hypocritical relationship” with the ICC, following threats to withdraw from the international court.
AU by President Uhuru Kenyatta on a roadmap for the withdrawal of African nations from the Rome Statute.
“The union has not been honest with themselves because they are saying that ICC targets African leaders, and I have said it is hogwash," he said.
"Most of the African leaders who were before the ICC have been referred there by Africans themselves".
Commenting on the IEBC, Raila told Al Jazeera that he was “very worried” that 2017 general election could turn violent and that he would not participate if the electoral
agency is not reformed in time.
The Opposition
on Monday April 26 to forcefully remove the commissioners.
Raila and his supporters dont want the Issack Hassan-led team to man the August 2017 general elections.
“We need to address factors that may lead us to a state of violence that we witnessed in 2008. We will not go into the gallows," Raila said.
”If the IEBC is not properly reformed, there would definitely be no reason for us to participate in the coming elections" he added.
On Kenya Defence Forces, Raila
said that if he were to become President, he would bring the troops home within one year of taking office.
The Cord boss had asked for the withdrawal of the soldiers from Somalia but
Uhuru announced Kenya will of the country, despite the death of soldiers following terrorist attacks targeting KDF bases.