We won’t keep quiet, CORD tells Deputy President Ruto over urge to wait till 2017

Coalition for Reforms and Democracy principals Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang’ula have told the Jubilee government the opposition will not relent on the push for referendum and will unveil their road map for what they are agitating for tomorrow.

Reacting to President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto’s demand that they stop the ‘noise’ and wait for the 2017 election, the Opposition leaders said CORD does not believe the issue it is raising can wait until 2017. The former Prime Minister, ex-Vice President and Bungoma Senator argued it had become clear Jubilee had no overall plan for the country on issues CORD had raised.

"Consequently, CORD will on Tuesday unveil an all-inclusive road map to the referendum on the issues hurting Kenyans," read their joint statement yesterday.

They gave the statement as other CORD leaders separately reacted to the call by Uhuru which was reinforced by Ruto on Saturday, insisting that it is the duty of the Opposition to keep the Government in check.

The statement by the co-principals went on: "For avoidance of doubt, we restate the issues as insecurity, end of KDF war in Somalia, taming the rising cost of living, end to mega-corruption, electoral reforms, safeguarding devolution, restructuring the provincial administration in line with the Constitution and ensuring national inclusion in appointments to public service positions, in line with the Constitution."

Reiterating their resolve to continue keeping the Jubilee Government on its toes, the CORD leaders sarcastically said they would "however respect Jubilee's right to remain quiet or flip flop on the issues up to 2017."

Elsewhere other CORD leaders brushed aside calls by Uhuru and Ruto that they should stop making 'noise' and politicking, and wait for 2017 General Election, arguing that they won't keep quite and let things go bad till Jubilee's mandate lapses.

Last week Uhuru and Ruto demanded of election losers that they keep quite and let Jubilee fulfill its electoral mandate, and wait for the next round of electioneering. But the Opposition leaders maintained they would continue piling pressure on Uhuru's Government to fulfill its promises to the electorate and would also intensify their agitation for a referendum on issues they say have gone wrong and need urgent intervention for the country's sake.

Before the issuance of the statement, Kalonzo had insisted the Opposition's drive for referendum through their Okoa Kenya (Save Kenya) movement is legitimate and cannot be wished away.

"The problems facing this country cannot wait until 2017. The call for national dialogue is now. It will and must be peaceful," Kalonzo told The Standard.

Senators Anyang' Nyong'o (Kisumu) and James Orengo (Siaya) and MPs Junet Mohamed (Suna East), Simba Arati (Dagorreti North) and Abdulswamad Sharrif Nassir (Mvita) told off the Deputy President over his Saturday's remark, and asked him to read the Constitution and understand the rights granted in the law.

"This is the same song he has been singing all the time and we are telling him to stop being emotional and read the Constitution to understand our 13 points. Again the Deputy President should read the Constitution to know the rights of the people and how the country is run," Nyong'o said.

"It is Ruto who said that the Constitution was defective, so he campaigned against it. We said we could fanya marekebisho baada ya uchaguzi (improve on the Constitution after elections) and our side won. We therefore have the responsibility to fulfill our promise," he added. 

He accused Ruto of being opposed to a good or even better Constitution because " he is apparently committed to his 'Red card' (symbol of 'No' vote in the 2010 vote on the Constitution).

Orengo said the DP was misguided by telling them to wait till 2017, adding that it is the governance blunders by Jubilee that have caused disquiet among Kenyans. He maintained that this reinvigorated the Opposition, which is now determined to push for reforms.

"The referendum can only take place in between an election. Telling us to wait is not right. We must do what we must do as an effective Opposition since we are now empowered and we can't afford to wait till 2017 to change things which have gone wrong," Orengo said.

Nassir said Ruto, and indeed the President's biggest priority, is to deliver on their key promises and telling the Opposition to wait till 2017 is not among them.

"The Opposition will continue to engage and keep the Government on its toes and we cannot sit back and see things go wrong," Sharrif said.

On Saturday, Ruto while addressing mourners in Kakamega County asked politicians calling for inclusion in Government to wait for 2017 and fight to form their own Government. CORD has several times rejected claims that they are asking for nusu mkate, (power-sharing) and clarified their calls for inclusiveness are directed at appointments to the public service.

"Ruto is a beneficiary of a flawed process and he should know that the business of the Opposition is not to give them peace but engage them continuously to ensure that we use legal means to bring change," Arati said.

He added: "A referendum is a process that is provided for in the Constitution which we can either use Parliament or go direct to the people and since Parliament thinks along tyranny of numbers, we have chosen the path of direct exercise of sovereignty."

Junet said: "Ruto never voted for this Constitution since he was the leader of the 'No' Campaign brigade that wanted this country to be governed under the old Constitution that saw Kenyans suffer under. We are telling him the time to correct that 20 per cent is now."

Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar argued that the demand by Jubilee leaders goes against spirit of the Constitution, which provides for an Opposition that checks the excesses of Government, and provides an alternative agenda and vision for the country. He said the Opposition must be dynamic.