Street protests to continue, opposition leaders vow

Opposition leaders have vowed to continue with street protests tomorrow to push electoral commissioners out of office.

Yesterday, CORD Principal Raila Odinga said he had nothing personal against the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Issack Hassan as an individual.

“We are not after individual commissioners. We are only calling for change of guard to have a clean and transparent body that can be trusted to conduct the 2017 elections,” said Raila.

Speaking in Hassan’s hometown of Garissa, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader insisted they will continue with street protests until the current commissioners are removed from office.

The only way out of the street demonstrations, he said, is for the Jubilee administration to embrace dialogue aimed at reforming IEBC.

Addressing a large crowd at the Garissa Primary School playground, Raila told residents that he supported Hassan’s appointment as chairperson of IEBC and had nothing personal against him.

He refuted claims made last week by Leader of Majority in the National Assembly Aden Duale that he was against Muslims and that is why he wants Hassan out of office.

Lost credibility

“I nominated Hassan to the Yash Pal Ghai-led Constitution of Kenya Review Commission (CKRC) and Mohamed Alawi to the Interim Independent Boundaries Commission (IIEC) after they were nominated by Farah Maalim and Hassan Joho respectively,” said Raila.

Raila said the electoral commission is comprised of commissioners from many communities but they had become partial towards the ruling coalition.

The CORD leader also dismissed claims by the government that some neigbouring countries were helping the opposition to destabilise the government.

“What will the foreign countries have to do with the demand by Kenyans for reforms in an electoral commission which has lost credibility?” he asked.

The former Prime Minister was accompanied by Senators James Orengo (Siaya) Johnstone Muthama (Machakos), Governors Hassan Joho (Mombasa), and Nathif Jama (Garissa), MPs Mohamed Dahiye, Irshad Sumra (Embakasi) and Busia Woman Representative Florence Mutua.

He faulted President Uhuru Kenyatta for visiting Garissa 14 months after the deadly Garissa University College attack that claimed 147 lives, majority of them students.

The CORD leaders dismissed the recent State initiation of development projects in the region saying Raila had initiated the projects when he was Prime Minister.

They claimed there were no major Jubilee projects in the region to warrant the President’s visit because the Uhuru and his deputy only opened projects initiated by the Grand Coalition Government.

“When the President visited, he opened a sub-station which was actually initiated when I was Prime Minister. There are no projects by Jubilee government,” said Raila.

He drummed up support for former Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim, saying he would be a better representative of the constituency in Parliament. Duale is the sitting MP for Garissa Township Constituency.

In Nairobi, CORD leaders led by Senator Orengo told Uhuru and Ruto that their hardline positions on dialogue means the only avenue left for them is protests until the IEBC commissioners vacate office.

Orengo said the opposition had done everything to seek a peaceful solution to reforms at the electoral body but the government was placing hurdles in the way.

“We are prepared for a serious constructive dialogue, that is why we have even sought the intervention of churches, diplomats and the business community. That is why our co-principals went to State House to meet the President,” Orengo, who is CORD’s management committee co-chair, said.

He said given the government’s intolerance, they will continue with demonstrations.

“Jubilee is unwilling to dialogue. It is unfortunate to declare that CORD is dead. We are not ashamed to say demonstrations will go on. Demonstrations are the language of the weak because they don’t have the power enjoyed by the government,” Orengo said.

The senator said that despite Jubilee’s hardline stance, they would ultimately be willing to sit down with the opposition.

“Jubilee will eventually agree to talk to us. The colonialists agreed to discuss independence and Kanu agreed to talk and change the Constitution to accommodate opposition views,” Orengo said.

Muthama, who is Orengo’s co-chair termed Ruto’s sentiments on the choice of CORD negotiators, as unfortunate.

“When Ruto belittles leaders elected by Kenyans, it shows that he is closed to opinions about the rest of the citizens. Ruto is the stumbling block to reforms and Kenyans are watching,” said the Machakos Senator.

Ruto has dismissed the team picked by CORD for dialogue with the government over electoral reforms, singling out Muthama and Mombasa Woman Representative Mishi Mboko as people who cannot engage in serious talks.

Democratic rights

Other members of the CORD team are Orengo and MPs Eseli Simiyu and Junet Mohamed.

Muthama supported calls for continued countrywide protests until current IEBC commissioners vacate office and new ones recruited.

His sentiments were echoed by Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga, who said CORD members are only exercising their democratic rights.

“It is clear to Kenyans that Jubilee is not willing to solve this matter. It is also clear that IEBC is partisan and acts on the whims of Jubilee. We will continue demonstrating because the government is not reciprocating our goodwill,” Wanga said.

Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero and ODM branch chairman George Aladwa also supported calls for demonstrations.

“Reforming IEBC is not about political parties but for the good of the country. The opposition exists by right. Millions of Kenyans voted for us and we should not be brushed off like non-entities. We will demonstrate until we get what we are agitating for,” Kidero said.

Aladwa called on the President to drop his hardline stand and embrace dialogue.

“The President should be leading the way to solve this issue. I call upon CORD supporters to turn out in large numbers tomorrow and peacefully demonstrate until IEBC commissioners go home,” Aladwa said.

But Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen sensationally claimed that Raila is not interested in reforming IEBC but getting the scrapped Prime Minister’s position.

“The demonstrations are not about IEBC. Raila wants to share power by amending the Constitution. Let us not treat symptoms because the problem is bigger. CORD wants a grand coalition government,” Murkomen said.

The senator claimed opposition is not truthful on its demands.

“They have lied to the diplomats and the church. We will only listen to them if they abide by the Constitution and bring their grievances through the Parliamentary Legal Committee,” Murkomen said.

Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Bishop George Mechumo of Bungoma diocese urged politicians to preach peace and save the country from turmoil.

“The demonstrations are not good for our unity. Let us solve the matter amicably because if the situation gets out of hand, all of us will suffer,” said the bishop.