CORD leader Raila Odinga addresses a crowd at Keroka market in Nyamira County, Sunday. Raila was in the county to thank Kitutu Masaba MP Timothy Bosire for standing firm with him which led to his (Bosire's) arrest over hate speech allegations. [Photo: Denish Ochieng/Standard]
CORD leader Raila Odinga Sunday led the five Opposition MPs arrested over hate speech allegations into declaring a fresh fight against dictatorship.
They said the Government was keen on returning the country to the dark days of one-party-State era.
They accused Deputy President William Ruto, Internal Security Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery and Majority Leader Aden Duale of a conspiracy to silence the Opposition in their fight against the many ills dogging the Jubilee government.
The Opposition leaders further accused Ruto, Nkaissery and Duale of misusing the police by giving them unconstitutional orders aimed at harassing those keen on exposing rampant corruption.
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The politicians were speaking during the homecoming party for Kitutu Masaba MP Timothy Bosire in Nyamira County where they said they will root for reforms within the police in a bid to make the force more independent and free from manipulation by the Government.
The leaders accused the Government of arbitrary arrests ordered by Ruto, Nkaissery and Duale.
Barely a week after three Jubilee and four CORD politicians, who had been arrested for hate speech allegations, had what was viewed as a reconciliation meal in Nairobi together with Raila, there seemed to be no remorse among the Opposition leaders after they launched a fresh attack on Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria over his remarks. Kuria was one of the Jubilee MPs arrested over hate speech allegations.
The Opposition MPs maintained their innocence over the hate speech allegations.
Resist attempts
“We fought so hard to bring about all the changes, which we are witnessing in the country now but the Jubilee government is eroding all those freedoms. They want to take us back to the era of one-party State, which we have long forgotten. We will fight so hard to resist such attempts and if it means going out to the streets then let it be,” said Raila.
Addressing three rallies at Keroka market, Magombo and Manga Stadium, Raila took a jibe at the Jubilee government for embezzling over Sh1 trillion money he said got lost through NYS projects, Euro bond and corruption deals in Government departments.
“Over three years since we ushered in devolution, the Government has sent only Sh600 billion to counties while over Sh5 trillion, which the National government had reserved cannot be accounted for adequately. What then can we say is the need to continue entertaining the Jubilee leadership?” posed Raila.
Some 12 other elected leaders from the Opposition accused Jubilee of harassing the Opposition and vowed to soldier on with their efforts of reforming the politics of the country.
Mr Bosire claimed that the Government arrested the three Jubilee leaders to justify their arrests.
