Raila tells off US ambassador Meg Whitman over August polls remarks

Azimio leader Raila Odinga has come out guns blazing at the International community over statements that the August 2022 elections were free and fair.

This comes after the US ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman said Kenya had the "freest and most transparent election" ever in the history of the country.

"I don't know which country she was talking about. She had just been here a few days to the election."

Raila told the international community, particularly a group of foreign diplomats who issued a joint statement recently that democracy is the same everywhere.

He said democracy must be measured by the same standards.

"You cannot put development ahead of democracy. Democracy must precede development. That's why we are surprised to see these diplomats turning a blind eye to this. Most of them have the audacity to misrepresent facts about our country."

Raila recalled events of August 15, when the election commissioners differed on the results with three agreeing on it while four saying otherwise.

"If this happened in the United States or Europe could that be considered democratic, will the elections be considered transparent?" he questioned.

He added that for the first time in history, they saw three become bigger than four after four members of the commission dissented and said they don't agree with the results that were announced by the chair Wafula Chebukati.

The Azimio leader asked the International community that they have a right to question what happened and to ensure that it does not happen again in 2027.

"Kenyans have a right in the light of now the information that has emerged that put to question the results announced by the minority of electoral commission and this is how democracy is built."

"Allow Kenyans to make decisions of their own. We will demand that the servers be opened to interrogate results, and ensure that all the four electoral commissioners are reinstated."

He was speaking during the burial of the first elected woman MP and Mayor Mama Grace Onyango in Gem.