UK media reveals how Kenyans were paid to attend Nyayo, Kasarani rallies

Youths were reportedly paid to attend final rallies presided over by Azimio flagbearer Raila Odinga and his UDA rival William Ruto at the Kasarani and Nyayo Stadia, respectively, according to a claim by UK-based news channel Sky News.

On Saturday, August 6, correspondent Yousra Elbagir followed a group of four adolescents who went to both rallies for a story titled Eyewitness.

They made their way to the stadium wearing UDA t-shirts, carrying Ruto posters and blowing whistles. They notified Elbagir that they had to go somewhere else, but they soon left the stadium.

“We are hustling. We were paid by political brokers between Ksh500 -1,000 to attend this rally,” stated Sylvester, the leader of the group.

The four departed and made their way to Thika Road, the location of the Azimio protest. However, as a safety precaution, they disembarked a mile from the event.

Sylvester added that in order to prevent confrontation with Raila fans, they needed to remove the UDA-branded apparel at a safe distance from Kasarani. He also revealed how much money they received for going to the protest.

“When you encounter an opposing side, you have to be very cautious. Everybody wants money; we were paid Ksh1,500 to attend this rally,” he narrated.

The youth stated that they were just trying to put food on their table owing to the biting economic situation in the country. In addition, they reckoned that attendance in rallies did not relate to how they would vote.

“When you are offered money, you cannot refuse to take it but at the end of the day, we know where our passion and votes lie,” he stated.

Elbagir also had a brief interview with the former Prime Minister who assured that his reporters would remain calm in the event that he is not declared the winner of the August 9 elections.

“My supporters are always peaceful. In 2007, the elections were rigged and my people were dissatisfied but they were not the ones who actually caused the violence,” Odinga stated.

Saturday, August 6, was the last campaign day, with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) capping the campaigns at 48 hours before the August 9 General Election.