Uhuru attacks Raila over 2007 election violence, rigging claims

By Naftal Makori and Robert Nyasato

KENYA: Jubilee Coalition presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta has questioned the conduct of his political rival Raila Odinga and the role he played during the post-election crisis in 2008.

“If Raila was a peace loving leader he could have stopped the 2007 post-election violence but only chose to plead for calm after he had been given half a loaf (included in government), meaning he was interested in acquiring power,” charged Uhuru amid applause from the leaders.

Addressing a series of rallies in Nyansiongo, Rigoma, Tombe, Manga, Nyamaiya, Magwagwa and Nyamira town in Nyamira County on Monday, the Deputy Prime Minister accused Raila of playing divisive politics and failing to unite Kenyans during the bloody crisis.

Uhuru further alleged that the CORD leader’s brand of politics would not assure the country unity and economic prosperity.

“Siasa yake ya vitendawili haiwezi kuweka ugali katika meza ya mwananchi wa kawaida (His politics of riddles cannot put food on a common man’s dinner table),” he said.

He added: “I don’t oppose him because of his ethnicity. In 2007 he was a key leader in the conflict but there is no single day he opened his mouth to castigate the violence until when he was granted his half-bread government.” He said Raila could not be trusted with the country’s leadership because he failed to hold his ODM pentagon together.

Inciting the electorate

“Everybody has rebelled against him; it shows there is a problem somewhere. He lacks leadership quality, a factor which has resulted to his key Pentagon allies such as William Ruto, Charity Ngilu, Joseph Nyagah and Najib Balala deserting him.”

The Jubilee flag-bearer was accompanied by Foreign Affairs minister Sam Ongeri, former MPs Walter Nyambati, Wilfred Ombui, Jimmy Angwenyi, Joel Onyancha, Godfrey Masanya, Joyce Laboso and other aspirants.

Uhuru further alleged that Raila was out to divide the country with his allegations that the Government was plotting to rig the elections in favour of Jubilee. “Raila’s politics always confuses me. Please do not take this country back, do not divide this nation,” he said. 

Uhuru also alleged that the rigging claims were unfounded and only calculated at inciting the electorate to reject the outcome of the presidential poll.