'No' team accuses Govt of frustrating their campaign

The 'No' team Sunday took the Government to task over the decision to deny them venues to hold their rally as they made their final submission to the electorate ahead of the Wednesday referendum.

The team led by Higher Education minister William Ruto and several Church leaders also accused the 'Yes' team of using state resources to frustrate their campaigns.

Former Starehe MP Bishop Margaret Wanjiru who lost her parliamentary seat following a court ruling last week also received a boost when the MPs in the 'No' team pledged to support her in the by-election later in the year.

Speaking on Sunday the team recounted their tribulations in the hands of the Government which they said had sensed defeat at the August 4 referendum.

“When we started we were few but God has built a strong army of supporters who will shoot down the rotten constitution on Wednesday,” said Mr Ruto.

He recounted the instances when have been locked out of venues including the Kisii stadium, Uhuru Park and Kamukunji grounds. According to Mr Ruto, the Reds only secured the venue of Sunday’s rally after he called Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere to complain at being blocked despite them securing a permit earlier on.

“We have reached this ground (Dagoretti) after a lot of difficulty and after being locked out of every other venue within Nairobi,” he said, “Those on the other side were against us holding a rally.”

The Higher Education minister was accompanied to the Dagoretti Corner grounds by MPs Kiema Kilonzo (Mutito), Wilfred Machage (Kuria), Moses Lessonet (Eldama Ravine) and Linah Jebii Kilimo (Marakwe East) and several church leaders pushing for the rejection of the proposed constitution.

Mr Kilonzo said the Reds were satisfied with their campaigns, however, and appealed for peaceful referendum.

He said his support for the 'No' side was informed by the hidden agenda to scrap the provincial administration.

“It is only a fool who prepares his sacking letter and signs it,” the Mutito MP said, referring to the members of the Provincial administration who are campaigning of the proposed constitution.

Suspended assistant minister Machage said opening inquiry into historical injustices on the land chapter was a recipe for chaos. He too said the proposed laws would create enmity between Christians and Muslims.

“Mr President, I have served you faithfully both as an MP of Kuria, a marginalized community and as your minister but on this constitution, you are wrong,” he said. The MP whose case is pending in court for alleged hate speech said he would stand by the truth no matter what.

Mr Lessonet said the proposed constitution would increase taxes on the already overburdened Kenyan taxpayer while Ms Kilimo said the expanded freedom of information would allow media to air pornography.

The rally started at 4pm, almost as the 'Yes' team was concluding theirs at Uhuru Park, a distance of 10 kilometres apart.

Earlier, the Dagoretti Corner playground was empty save for a choir that entertained the handful of people who arrived early and a pair of dogs with red clothes – the symbol of 'No' – tied round their necks.
Bishop Mark Kariuki of Deliverance Church moved around the nearby estates calling on people to come out to attend the rally with music blaring from an open truck.

The 'No' team accused the media of being used to mislead their supporters that the rally was to take place at Jamhuri Park.

Said Apostle Musili of Round the Globe Deliverance Ministries, “The media has been used to mislead our supporters but we have forgiven them and will continue to pray for them.”

The Reds team wondered why the Government was denying them ground to hold their rally if it was not scared.

According to the speakers, the harassment of the 'No' proponents, the use of civil servants and State resources, the killing of Bishop Joseph Segel and the bombing of Uhuru Park two months ago pointed to a panicky 'Yes' team that was planning to rig the referendum.

The Reds also took issue with the opinion polls which have shown the 'Yes' in the lead, accusing the Greens of doctoring them to make Kenyans believe they were winning when they were, in fact, trailing.