CORD pledge overhaul of police system

By Geoffrey Mosoku

Nairobi, Kenya: Prime Minister Raila Odinga now says CORD government will overhaul the entire police system if elected on March 4.

Raila said that CORD will implement the much desired police reforms and make the security agencies an outfit that will serve Kenyans citizens.

He said CORD will strive to improve the terms of service for security agencies by increasing their salaries and provide adequate housing, saying in turn police will be expected to serve wananchi.

“We don’t what to witness any more incidents of police harassing innocent citizens and arresting them on arbitrary charges,” he said.

The CORD presidential flag bearer said it was possible to have a people friendly police just like in western countries where cops handle citizens with courtesy.

Raila was speaking on Monday in Eastleigh as he and other CORD luminaries Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang’ula led separate CORD caravans in a campaign tour of the city.

The Premier accused his main rival Uhuru Kenyatta of sabotaging construction of roads in the area saying Uhuru refused to allocate monies towards the project.

“As a Prime Minister, I formed an inter-ministerial committee that made proposals on how to improve the state of roads here but you all know who the minister for Finance was then. Uhuru failed to allocate money and I want you to ask him what happened with the money when he tours here,” he said.

He again tore into the Jubilee leadership claim that they can rule the country from The Hague saying that was an impossible task. 

While speaking in parables, Raila likened the quest of Uhuru and his running mate William Ruto, both facing criminal charges at the ICC, to a hyena which was hunting but lost track of the antelope near a rock.

“The foolish hyena asked the rock thrice if it had seen where the antelope had escaped to but did not get any reply but the hyena just consoled itself saying even if you don’t answer me, I have spoken to you.”

Later Raila, Kalonzo, Wetang’ula and a host of aspirants converged at Mowlem Ward in Embakasi West constituency where they requested voters to reject the jubilee leaders.

Kalonzo saying Kenyan should emulate him, for having sacrificed his presidential ambitions to support Raila, and vote overwhelmingly for the alliance.

The VP who had earlier addressed supporters at Imara Daima, Embakasi Village, Quarry, Mukuru kwa Njenga, and Mukuru Kayaba before joining Raila, exuded confidence of a CORD win saying it’s only the alliance that can heal tribal rifts bedeviling the country.

“Kenyans have made up their minds that the only way to eradicate tribalism is through voting for the CORD leadership come the March 4 elections. I am therefore urging you to come out and take part in transforming Kenya on 4th by casting your vote for CORD.”

On his side Wetang’ula appealed to CORD supporters to be vigilant against plans to compromise the integrity of the coming elections through an alleged plot to rig the polls.

Others who addressed the rally include Nairobi gubernatorial aspirant Evans Kidero, senator aspirant Margret Wanjiru, MP aspirants George Aladwa and Brain Weke, minister Mohamed Elmi and Fred Gumo among others.