Poll gives Raila slim lead

Cord braves bid to disrupt rally in Embu vote chase

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By  CHARLES WANYORO charlwanyoro@yahoo.co.uk  ( email the author)

Posted  Saturday, February 16  2013 at  00:30

In Summary

• Raila, Kalonzo address a huge rally after police repulsed youths who were pelting stones

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Cord presidential contender Raila Odinga and his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka on Friday braved attempts to disrupt a campaign rally in Embu Town and addressed a huge crowd.

A group of about 500 youths chanting “Jubilee! Jubilee!” had gathered at one corner of Embu municipal stadium and started pelting Cord supporters with stones but were repulsed by the police.

The group seemed to have been incensed by Mwea parliamentary aspirant Daniel Njagi’s statement that Embu was not a Jubilee stronghold. Mr Njagi accused Jubilee flag-bearer Uhuru Kenyatta of neglecting the region.

Some of the stones narrowly missed two helicopters parked in the stadium. No injuries were reported.

Embu police chief Gasper Makau and his officers formed a buffer between Jubilee and Cord supporters before Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka continued with their rally.

Organisers of the rally had to play loud music to drown the shouts from the rowdy youths.

Cord director of operations Peterson Muthathai, who hails from the area, accused a Cabinet minister and a former minister of being behind the attack. He alleged that the two had been spotted mobilising youths in the morning.

Mr Muthathai warned that such acts of violence could make other communities shun the county.

Former Kangundo MP Johnstone Muthama asked youths to maintain peace.

Mr Odinga addressed the crowd and said he had written to British Prime Minister David Cameron, urging him not to appeal a case where Mau Mau fighters are seeking compensation

“He wrote back telling me that we will discuss the issue soon after the March 4 elections,” he said.

He called on Kenya National Union of Teachers to shelve its planned nationwide strike until the elections are held.

“What we have is a caretaker government because there is no Parliament, which can discuss the issues,” he said.

Mr Musyoka said he was confident of delivering Eastern Province votes to help Cord win the polls.

Mr Odinga had earlier held successful rallies at Runyenjes and Kianjokoma as Mr Musyoka campaigned in Gategi and Kiritiri markets.

Tigania East parliamentary aspirant Mpuru Aburi and his Igembe North counterpart Maoka Maore said Embu and Meru counties had always received a raw deal despite being in Gema.