Raila accuses rivals of sabotage

Prime Minister Raila Odinga campaigns for the ODM Kamukunji parliamentary by-election aspirant Ibrahim Ahmed (right) on May 10, 2011. Photo/FILE

By NATION CORRESPONDENTS
Posted  Sunday, May 15 2011 at 21:51

Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Sunday accused rivals of fighting his initiatives.

Mr Odinga said that although he had proposed a reduction in fuel prices, those who were supposed to implement reduction did not do so because they thought he would gain political mileage out of it.

“I recommended the motion in Parliament to check the prices of common goods used by the common mwananchi but nothing has been done because of cheap politics,” he said.

The PM, who spoke while campaigning for ODM candidate in Kamukunji by-election Ibrahim Ahmed, said he would not be moved by “such machinations”.

He said he was not scared of new political alliances and accused those who opposed the new Constitution of working to derail the implementation process.

Meanwhile, Narc-Kenya chairperson Martha Karua and PNU Alliance candidate Yusuf Hassan clashed in a church over the age of contenders as campaigns for the Kamukunji by-elections entered the homestretch.

The Gichugu MP had called on the congregation at the African Independent Pentecostal Church in Bahati to vote for her party’s candidate Brian Weke because he was “young”.

But Mr Yusuf tore into the statement comparing his ambition to that of Ms Karua’s presidential bid.

“If it is about age and voting for young people then may be my sister (Ms Karua) here should also drop her quest to be president because we are of the same age,” Mr Yusuf said.