According to data from the National Intelligence Service, Azimio Presidential nominee Raila Odinga was poised for a first-round victory against his major competitor, Deputy President William Ruto, with around 60% of the vote (NIS).
Despite intelligence evidence showed that Mr Odinga was ahead, Dr Kibicho accused his camp of using perception politics to persuade the public in an apparent shot at DP Ruto.
“It is a first-round win. This is intelligence data and that’s what its saying. It is about 60 percent,” Dr Kibicho told Citizen TV on Tuesday night.
His sentiments came barely two days after Information Communications Technology (ICT) Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru also indicated that data at his disposal showed the Azimio Presidential aspirant winning the August 9 elections in the first round of the vote.
Speaking on Inooro TV on Sunday, Mr Mucheru said Mr Odinga does not need to be helped to win through rigging “and even if we wanted to, it is technically impossible to corrupt the process of picking the fifth president for the country.”
He said Mr Odinga who is being supported by President Uhuru Kenyatta salvaged a final kick from his earlier neck to neck tussle with Dr Ruto by nominating Martha Karua as his running mate.
“The other wing (Kenya Kwanza) messed by picking the one they did (Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua)…That person is doing them no good…But it is their problem and they know why they made their decision. But Karua has excited Kenyans and added value to Mr Odinga’s contest. Many people have confided to us that they will turn out and vote because Karua is credible and represents their aspirations,” Mr Mucheru said.
Yesterday, Dr Kibicho reiterated that intelligence reports put Mr Odinga far much ahead of Dr Ruto his closest challenger.
“For us we don’t deal with those perceptions, we deal with facts on the ground and they are saying very different things form the noise,” the PS said.
He said as government officials with the privilege to access intelligence information, they don’t speak from emotions but facts.
“If you ask me for example what the data is saying today, and because you are entitled to my answer as a public servant, I will give you as it is and the burden of proof then shifts to you.
“If the data I’ve given you, you think its misleading, then tell me what data you have and from where that says otherwise. You cannot criminalize someone for giving you information you have asked for,” said the PS.
He went on: “For example if you have asked me today, what is the polling with respect to the institution I work for, I will tell you. If it favours a person, it doesn’t mean that is the person I necessarily support but it’s what the data is saying.”
Dr Kibicho accused DP Ruto of losing touch with the government he serves.
“He is in government but has lost touch with it. He is promising to revive Kenya Meat Commission which was revived long time ago and is working.
“He says that when he become president, he will reduce the price of fertilizer from Sh 5,000 to Sh 3,000 but government reduced that long time ago to Sh 2,600. This means we have a person who has completely lost touch with a government he works for,” said the PS.
He pointed out that the August election was a two horse race, noting that the other presidential aspirants were likely to bag probably 2 percent of the total votes cast with Mr Odinga garnering 60 percent and leaving 38 percent to Dr Ruto.
Mr Odinga is seeking the presidency on Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party ticket while Dr Ruto is vying on his United Democratic Alliance (UDA) under the Kenya Kwanza Coalition.
“For us we deal with realities and not perceptions. I am in touch with every village in this country through our national government administration network and we feel the political temperatures of this country.
“What we are seeing is a situation where people start playing victims, creating a perception by making claims of rigging, but what these people are trying to do is to set stage. We know when the stage is being set as it is done through giving inaccurate information to create false perceptions.”
He said President Kenyatta is a firm believer in the rule of law and cannot allow the will of the people to be subverted.
“This election will be won on round one and the government has no plans whatsoever to interfere with the August elections. There can’t be.
“President Kenyatta believes in the rule of law and democracy and is not a person who can sit in a room and tell you to manipulate the will of the people. The rule of the people shall prevail on August 9 2022,” Dr Kibicho affirmed.
He defended the involvement of some civil servants in the political forums, saying they were not campaigning but only involved in civic education, even as he defended Cabinet Secretaries of being allowed by law to take part in politics.
