Raila: Ruling was akin to Jesus before Pilate

By JUDIE KABERIA | April 5, 2013

Odinga said the Supreme Court failed to heed his plea when it rejected the admission of evidence that he considered crucial in his case that was challenging the declaration of Uhuru Kenyatta as winner of the March 4 presidential election/COURTESY

NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 5 – Prime Minister Raila Odinga has scorned at the Supreme Court, comparing its recent ruling in his petition to the biblical verdict delivered by Pontius Pilate which led to the release of Barabas, the murderer, and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Speaking in Kondele, Odinga said the Supreme Court failed to heed his plea when it rejected the admission of evidence that he considered crucial in his case that was challenging the declaration of Uhuru Kenyatta as winner of the March 4 presidential election.

“Let everyone listen to this, I asked people to be patient, when we said we were going to the Supreme Court. We waited for the supreme court of ruling. The Supreme Court sat during Easter; during Easter there was only one other court that sat, that was the court of Pontius Pilate which committed Jesus to death,” he asserted in Kiswahili.

He explained that he presented his grievances to the court but his petition was unanimously rejected by the court which kept striking off and rejecting his evidence.

“It was between Jesus and Barabas; they (crowds) were asked who do you want, they said they wanted Barabas. We have a new Pilate, we took enough evidence, he (judge) said, ‘remove this evidence, I don’t want this evidence’, didn’t you see?” he asked the surging crowd.

“Then Pilate ruled that Jesus should be hanged 2,013 years ago. But today Jesus is not dead he is still alive. Even us we will continue moving forward,” Odinga told the cheering crowd.

Odinga’s and the Africa Centre for Open Governance petitions were unanimously rejected by the court. The two petitions were seeking to have the election of Kenyatta nullified on basis that the electoral process was flawed.

The six judges of the Supreme Court whose president is Chief Justice Willy Mutunga declared that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) conducted free, fair and transparent elections according to the Constitution.

That judgement confirmed Uhuru Kenyatta as the duly elected next president of Kenya.

Odinga reiterated several times that he would accept the ruling of the court.

During his Friday tour of Nyanza Province, Odinga informed his support base that he will not quit politics.

Accompanied by local MPs, Odinga was overwhelmed by supporters with some breaking down in tears while others offered him a bible to take an oath. He told the residents to hold their horses as the journey was not yet over.

In his proverbial antics, he said ‘when a cooking stick breaks that does not signify the end of the cooking’ a clear illustration that he would remain in politics as he has been promising.

Kenyatta won with a 50.07 percent of the votes cast while Odinga who was his closest contender got 43.28 percent in the March 4 General Election.