Image: The-Star
Ledama Olekina, the Narok Senator has blamed what he termed as "petty people" for missing out on the presidential state commendation issued on Jamhuri Day.
In an interview with Citizen TV, Ledama revealed that he knew beforehand that he would be conferred with the Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (C.B.S.) because of his work and position in Parliament.
The Deputy Minority Whip in the Senate said he knew this because he had been nominated by the joint secretariat on conferment of honours.
"I never knew that people can be very petty," Ledama said.
The senator claimed members of the Kenya Kwanza camp in the secretariat "engineered" his removal from the list of nominees over the chaos that erupted at the Bomas of Kenya shortly before the acrimonious declaration of President William Ruto as the winner of the August 9 polls.
He said the expulsion was presided over by the speaker of the National Assembly, Moses Wetang'ula after a petition was filed for his removal.
"(He) sat there and said that I caused mayhem so I should not be honoured. So, it beats the question, other people have been taken to The Hague (International Criminal Court) like the President and he is the EGH, Elder of the Golden Heart," he said.
Ledama claimed that the President also questioned the rationale used back in 2007 when he missed out on the honours over the ICC case he faced at the time.
The senator was the centre of controversy at the national tallying centre when chaos erupted in Bomas of Kenya on August 15 shortly before IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati declared Ruto the President-elect.
Ledama, a leading voice of the Azimio la Umoja camp alongside the outfit's presidential chief agent Saitabao ole Kanchory, frantically tried to stop the announcement to no avail.
Chebukati was on Monday among 36 Kenyans who were awarded state commendations from the President in recognition of their "distinguished and outstanding services rendered to the nation".
The outgoing IEBC chair was conferred with the Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart, EGH.
Ledama said those who orchestrated the removal of his name from the list of would-be recipients of the honours were wrong since he never caused any trouble at Bomas.
"Everybody saw what happened. I never caused any violence at Bomas. In fact, if there is a petition, everybody has a right to reply."
The senator said the joint secretariat should have written to him informing him about the petition against him and given him a chance to defend himself.
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