• Raila is Friday expected to declare a return of anti- government street protests.
• He listed six main reasons to justify the call for mass action including demanding that Ruto opens IEBC servers for forensic analysis.
Image: File
Former Kanu secretary general Nick Salat has urged Opposition Leader Raila Odinga to retire from politics.
Speaking in Bomet on Friday, Salat said that opportunities for the Azimio la Umoja leader to clinch the presidency are over.
"Raila, I want to tell you that you lost in the August presidential elections. You lost to the people's choice," he said.
"Even if you hold daily maandamano, the seat will never be yours," Salat added.
On August 15, 2022, former IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati declared William Ruto winner of the presidential contest after he defeated Raila and two other candidates in the August 9 polls.
Ruto garnered 7.1 million votes against Raila's 6.9 million votes.
However, Raila Odinga rejected the results terming them "null and void" and promised a bruising battle at the Supreme Court.
The apex court, however, threw out the consolidated petition for lack of sufficient evidence even as the judges indicted Chebukati for having fallen short in some areas in administering the election.
Chief Justice Martha Koome said Ruto garnered 50 per cent plus one of votes cast saying discrepancies noted in some polling stations were not sufficient to annul Ruto's win.
Raila halfheartedly accepted the ruling although he said he does not agree with the judgment.
He said the possibility of bloodshed from post-election violence and fear of International Criminal Court (ICC) charges compelled him to accept Ruto’s disputed win.
But in March, six months after the polls, Raila changed tune and termed Ruto's presidency as illegitimate and vowed to mount pressure against him via street protests.
He listed six main reasons to justify the call for mass action including demanding that Ruto opens IEBC servers for forensic analysis.
Raila claimed an expose from the Commission's whistle blower showed that he won the polls with 8.1 million votes against Ruto's 5.9 million.
The Azimio leader has also accused Ruto of nepotism in the Public service, attempt to singlehandedly reconstitute IEBC and failure to lower the cost of living.
On April 1, Raila halted the street protests after Ruto suggested that he embraces bipartisan talks via Parliament to resolve the IEBC issue.
The President said he is ready to engage with any leader but within the precincts of the law and dismissed the possibility of a handshake with his nemesis.
In response, Raila laid out demands to allow for talks between the opposition and the Kenya Kwanza administration.
This week, the bipartisan team tasked with addressing the issues raised by Azimio indefinitely suspended talks after failing to agree on the membership of the team.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna said the bipartisan talks cannot take place "until such time Hon Keynan who remains a member of Azimio shall not be included as part of the Kenya Kwanza delegation."
Raila is expected back in the country on Friday from Dubai and is scheduled to hold a rally at Kamukunji grounds in Kibra.
He is expected to announce a return of the weekly twin protests at the rally in response to the failed talks.