Raila pleads with Kalenjin to back him

PM RailaOdinga with Energy Assistant Minister Magerer Langat join dancers in Njoro, Nakuru County

By Karanja Njoroge

Prime Minister Raila Odinga returned to the Rift Valley where he urged residents to vote in leaders who will tackle the land problem in the region.

Raila said leaders behind land grabbing could not be trusted with the country’s leadership as they were the architects of the prevailing land problems.

The PM,who was addressing a rally at Mauche trading centre in Njoro District, said ODM is the only party that has developed clear land, agriculture, health, and education policies.

“We have a clear land policy that can cure the land problem in this country, grabbers cannot cure it as they are the architect of those problems,” the PM said.

Shun falsehoods

Raila, who returned to Nakuru County for the second time in two weeks, urged the Kalenjin community to support him in his journey to State House and shun falsehoods peddled by his rivals about him.

He said ODM would form a coalition of all Kenyans and not one that would isolate other communities.

The PM reiterated the Mau forest evictions were sanctioned by the Cabinet. Raila, who is fighting for political supremacy in the region with Eldoret North MP William Ruto, thanked the Kalenjin for voting for him in the last election and urged them to rally behind him in the March elections.

He urged the residents to register in large numbers during the forthcoming voter registration exercise saying the introduction of the Biometric Voter Registration kit would weed out bogus voters.

He was confident that next year’s elections would be devoid of malpractices witnessed in the last elections as those who presided over the mess were removed and a new system is in place.

Lands minister James Orengo said leaders should be judged on their position on the land problem saying it has been a pertinent issue since independence.

Mr Orengo said the country’s leadership had been turned into a circus.

He said Raila could be entrusted to enact reforms and implement the Constitution.

He accused the G7 alliance of betraying Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and cautioned Ruto the same fate may befall him.