Keep off ODM affairs, Kalonzo warned

Written By:Margaret Kalekye/KNA,    Posted: Fri, Mar 04, 2011

Immigration Minister Otieno Kajwang

Immigration Minister Otieno Kajwang has criticized Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka for interfering with the internal affairs of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) saying he should instead concentrate on building his party.

Kajwang has also cautioned leaders that they risk plunging the country into unprecedented political violence if they continue spreading hate and ethnic based attacks on each other.

The minister who was speaking Friday in Nairobi said that the recent attacks by  Kalonzo on Prime Minister Raila Odinga branding him as a dictator are un called for given that, Kalonzo is not an ODM member nor does he have a majority of MPs in parliament.

"He (Kalonzo) he should stop launching attacks on ODM and Raila in particular because we are not playing politics in the same league, he should look for ways of building a massive party" he said.

Kajwang has said that leaders should tone down their counter attacks in public or else their fight will degenerate into the society and lead to violence worse than the one experienced in the 2008/2007 post poll violence.

The minister has said that instead the leaders should concentrate on issue affecting the country and Kenyans in particular instead of engaging in squabbles aimed at tainting names of individuals.

"Our top politicians have let the country down, they are just preaching hatred, they spend 80 percent of their time preaching hatred, they should be talking about where they are taking Kenya instead" he said.

He challenged Eldoret MP William Ruto  to resign as MP and seek fresh mandate if he thinks he is popular.

Kajwang' said that Kenyans are sitting on a time bomb with leaders concentrating on politicking saying the unrest being experienced in Arab countries is likely to spread to Kenya if the leaders fail to find  a solution to the challenges that the country is facing now especially the growing number of  unemployment.

"The leaders should address the issues that are affecting Kenyans now instead of going to wedding, funerals and public gatherings to trade accusations" he said.

Kalonzo who was on his way to officiate the opening of the Eldoret Agricultural Show on Thursday led several MPs in lashing out at several ODM MPs including the PM.

Kajwang spoke a day after the National Cohesion and Integration Commission warned three prominent politicians against using abusive language in public.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto were issued with notices following a series of public utterances that were considered offensive.