Odinga’s supporters react to Ruto’s win at SC

Residents of Kenya’s veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga’s stronghold, Kisumu, reacted to the news that the country’s Supreme Court has dismissed Odinga’s petition to overturn the August presidential election results, which named his rival, William Ruto, the winner.

Some felt their victory had been stolen from them and are really waiting for further direction from their kingpin Odinga.

“I will accept that verdict with a faint heart because we have lived in this Kenya and have seen a lot. There is only one problem in Kenya and that is money (referring to bribery) money is wasting this country away. I don’t want to say much, the supreme court has given its verdict but I will wait for my general who is Raila Amollo Odinga to give directions on what is the way forward and if this will be his last attempt, then I will also say that this is my last time to be going voting and I don’t think if I will ever wake up so early to and vote again whole my life in Kenya,” a Kisumu resident said.

Odinga enjoys massive support, especially from the western regions of Kenya. He has vied over five times since 1997 and has always claimed a plot to rig him out.

Ruto’s election as the fifth president of the republic of Kenya has attracted criticism from Odinga’s supporters.

“And we shall not maybe call Ruto president, we are going to call Raila Amollo president, if we did it in 2017 that is the same thing that we are going to do. We are going to swear Raila Amollo Odinga is the president-elect so that we can have two presidents. And if anything happens we are going to call for secession so that Kenya can be divided,” a supporter said.

Kenya is the most dynamic economy in East Africa but many are suffering deep hardship, with prices for basic goods skyrocketing and unemployment a major problem, particularly among the youth.