Don’t drag Raila into your political woes, leaders told

By Mutinda MwanziaCity councillors have defended Prime Minister Raila Odinga against attacks by leaders allied to Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and suspended minister William Ruto.
The 20 leaders from the City Council of Nairobi, led by Mayor George Aladwa, accused individuals supporting the Ocampo Six of being dishonest because most of them had supported the ICC process in Parliament.
"They were loud in saying let’s go to The Hague and now they are accusing Raila of scheming for the downfall of some of the suspects," said Aladwa.
And professionals from South Rift who also addressed a news conference in Nairobi also came to the defence of the Premier, urging him not to be intimidated by opponents but concentrate on 2012 politics.
Face reality"The obsession with Raila by a clique of politicians who are out to tarnish his stature is misguided and will certainly flop," said Joseph Sonkori, the chairman of the professionals’ lobby group.
The professionals drawn from Kajiado, Narok, Transmara and Bomet said rallies and prayers organised by the Ocampo Six and their allies were a waste of time, adding the group should use their energies and resources to ensure those displaced during the post-election violence are resettled.
"Instead of attacking Raila they should focus on the removal of the IDPs from camps where they are living in deplorable conditions," said Sonkori.
Yesterday, Aladwa who spoke to reporters at City Hall, said the anti-Raila leaders were fuelling tribalism and hatred among Kenyans. He urged Kenyans to ignore such leaders.
"They should stop blaming Raila for their political woes and face the reality," said Aladwa.
Yesterday, the civic leaders said the prayer rally at Uhuru Park on Monday and which turned into a forum to attack Raila had unmasked the real motives of those spearheading the anti-Raila crusade.
"Now we know what they stand for and certainly they are not for the interests of Kenyans," said councillor Kassim Jaffer. He described it as hypocritical for the Ocampo Six to hold prayers and use the opportunity to spew insults to their political opponents.
"The language used during the prayers did very little to heal the nation," said Jaffer.
Recipe for chaosHe urged politicians across the political divide to exercise restraint, saying their utterances may lead the nation to self-destruction.
Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri and his Cherangany counterpart Joshua Kutuny were among those who launched a scathing attack against Raila during the Uhuru Park prayers.
Kutuny described Raila as a ‘coward’ who flies out of the country every time he is facing some heat while Kiunjuri referred to the PM as an "old lion that would eat grass" next year.
On Tuesday, Sonkori said the culture by politicians hurling insults towards each other ahead of elections was a recipe for chaos.