Saturday, June 28, 2014
PHOTO | PSCU President Uhuru Kenyatta with Machakos Governor Alfred
Mutua, former President Daniel Moi and Cord leaders Kalonzo Musyoka,
Raila Odinga and Moses Wetang’ula during Gen. Jackson Mulinge’s burial
in Machakos on June 28, 2014.
Cord leader Raila Odinga directly
pitched his calls for national dialogue to President Uhuru Kenyatta when
they shared a public platform for the first time since he began the
demand one month ago.
Mr Odinga said President Kenyatta should not reject the calls for dialogue.
“We need to work together and are all in one nation,” he said.
His
Cord co-principals, former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka and Bungoma
Senator Moses Wetang’ula, also called on the President to consider
national dialogue. They spoke during the burial of former Chief of
General Staff Jackson Mulinge in Kathiani, Machakos County.
Mr Odinga called on the President to dialogue with Kenyans on the issues affecting them.
“There
are peace challenges facing Kenyans. Kenyans are dying. Just the other
day it was Mpeketoni, then Baringo and Wajir. Our soldiers in Somalia
are dying, they are being brought one by one in coffins. All those are
huge challenges that need to be addressed,” said Mr Odinga.
Insecurity has been a key agenda by the Opposition.
“We
have said that as Kenyans we must look for a lasting solution to these
problems. There are many things which we want to speak about. I am
appealing to you President Uhuru Kenyatta to sit down with us and
dialogue as Kenyans,” Mr Odinga said.
But President
Kenyatta responded in a terse statement that dwelt chiefly on eulogising
the fallen General and steered away from politics: “We are supposed to
learn and follow his legacy. I do not have any doubt that we want our
country just the way General Mulinge wanted it and I know we can achieve
a lot.”
The President said the problems facing Kenyans
needed leaders who were ready to respect one another and respect Kenya
as one nation. “That is the only way we can achieve much,” the President
said.
WAY TO PEACE
On his part, Mr Musyoka said diologue was the way to peace.
“Following
what is happening, and what has elicited debate, it is important for
the citizens of this country to hold a dialogue because the alternative
to dialogue is chaos,” said the Cord co-principal who flew in from China
on Friday.
“We do not want a chaotic nation. This
nation has such potential that can be looked upon in the years ahead as a
shining light not just in our region but the entire African continent
and indeed the world. In terms of our own democratic practice, we need
to talk. The integrity of the vote will always be respected,” the former
vice-president said.
Mr Wetang’ula said Opposition
leaders would continue to speak out, which did not amount to usurping
the authority of the President.
“It is good for leaders
to speak. We want to request Your Excellency the President that you
will lose absolutely nothing by sitting down with the Opposition to talk
about the many challenges that face this country. We are ready to
talk,” he said.
NOT CHALLENGING JUBILEE TENURE
He said Cord was not challenging Jubilee’s tenure.
“You
are in authority. We are not saying you should leave power; we have no
capacity to do so. We are simply saying that by coming together, we can
reason better, think better and make the country better,” Mr Wetang’ula
said.
House Majority Leader Aden Duale called on leaders to follow the Constitution and defend it if they wanted change and dialogue.
Former
President Daniel Moi said that he would not wish to speak politics but
urged all to live in peace and support the current President until the
next elections. He said leaders should aspire to be as patriotic as the
former General.
“Gen Mulinge was a true gallant leader
who was fearless and who should be emulated by all leaders. He was a
true patriot and a true friend and that is why all Kenyans have come
here to mourn him,” said the former President.
General
Mulinge, who was the longest serving military chief, was sent off with
full honours in a ceremony attended by serving and former top officials.
Machakos
Governor Alfred Mutua promised that his government would build two
monuments, one in honour of Gen Mulinge and another in honour of the
late Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo, at the Machakos People’s Park for
their contribution to society. Senator Kilonzo died last year.
Later
at a rally in Ntulele, Narok County, Mr Odinga defended Interior
Minister Joseph ole Lenku over the insecurity witnessed in the country
in recent months and said that the buck stops with President Kenyatta in
his capacity as the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces.
The
Opposition leader said President Kenyatta had stalled implementation of
the security sector reforms he (Mr Odinga) and former President Mwai
Kibaki started, leaving Mr Lenku without efficient and professional
officers on the ground.
“We have no qualms with Mr
Lenku since it is the President who was supposed to ensure the security
services are professionalised. Mr Lenku is a very small man and can do
nothing and that is why we are seeking authority from the people to
demand dialogue,” he said in Ntulele.
In the Narok
rally, Mr Odinga said security officers on the ground were “rotten” and
could not be expected to deliver better security for all Kenyans,
leading to Kenyans being killed and maimed across the country.
In
what was dubbed the “Ntulele Declaration,” Mr Odinga said that
corruption, land, jobs, high prices, high fares and general insecurity
were among the issues he wanted addressed as a matter of urgency. Mr
Musyoka did not attend the Narok rally but remained behind in Kathiani.
Speakers
at the Ntulele meeting called on Cord to pressure the government to
enforce eviction of settlers within the expansive Maasai Mau Forest,
saying they were to blame for continued degradation of the environment
that has seen water flowing into Mara River reduce.
They
also urged Cord to move swiftly to put pressure on the government to
restore Maasai land rights in the ownership of Kedong, Narasha and
Nkuruman ranches.
Mr Odinga also called on President
Kenyatta to make public the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission
report, saying that would help restore Maasai rights to land as it
moves to address historical injustices by the colonial government.
Senator
Wetang’ula reiterated that the Constitution had delegated power to the
leaders which could be taken away if people felt pertinent issues were
not being addressed for the betterment of the people.
“Bungoma,
Wajir, Mpeketoni and Baringo people have witnessed shocking deaths and,
as leaders, we cannot ignore this. We have a duty to seek their mandate
to demand restoration of peace and security across the country,” he
said.
The Cord leader said time had come for people of
Narok to demand their rights, adding that Maasai youths had been denied
jobs at the Olkaria geothermal plant, among other areas where
exploration was going on.
Machakos Senator Johnstone
Muthama and Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar called on the security apparatus
to look into ways of protecting the people and shun politicising
security issues.
Mr Omar said the Lamu deaths should be investigated “professionally”.
“Senate
Majority Leader Kindiki Kithure, Majority parliamentary leader Aden
Duale and Senator Murkomen should not become spokesmen for the
President. He is the right man to lead Kenya out of this quagmire,” said
Mr Omar.
Reported by James Kariuki, Bernadine Mutanu, Bernard Ogembo and Anthony Omuya
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