Friday, July 26, 2013

Raila party fires back in row over Govt vehicles

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Siaya Senator James Orengo (left) and Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma during a press conference at the Serena Hotel July 26, 2013, on what they termed as attacks on former prime minister Raila Odinga by the Jubilee government. SALATON NJAU
Siaya Senator James Orengo (left) and Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma during a press conference at the Serena Hotel July 26, 2013, on what they termed as attacks on former prime minister Raila Odinga by the Jubilee government. SALATON NJAU  
By AGGREY MUTAMBO amutambo@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Friday, July 26  2013 at  16:59
The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord) has termed the government’s demand that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga returns state vehicles an “insult.”
At a press conference in Nairobi Friday, the leaders led by Siaya Senator James Orengo said the government was using Mr Odinga as a scapegoat to detract public attention from its failures.
“All this is coming at a time when the government is feeling weak, is feeling dysfunctional and is in panic mood,” Mr Orengo told reporters.
“It beats logic to demand that Raila returns vehicles when previous leaders are still riding in the fleets. As far as we are concerned, Raila Odinga has returned all of them that were required of him.”
Cord's response was ignited by a statement on Thursday by Government Spokesman Muthui Kariuki, who accused Mr Odinga of inciting mourners to heckle government officials at a funeral in Kisii County before saying that theformer PM had yet to surrender all government vehicles he used while in office.
“He is forever mourning that the government is not giving him recognition yet he has refused to return six government vehicles and has gone on and bought an illegal siren and forever driving all over town using the wrong lanes,” Mr Kariuki had said.
Afterthought
On Friday, Cord leaders said they didn’t know Mr Kariuki's role in government before stating that Mr Odinga had in fact, decided to attend the funeral as an afterthought.
“Mr Odinga was a mourner just like all others. He neither ferried nor paid anyone (to heckle). If he got a standing ovation, it was a result of the community’s respect for him.
“Those who were booed ought to work to earn that respect. Threatening and calling the community names will not help,” the leaders said in a statement read by Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati.
On Thursday, Mr Kariuki said he was in possession of information that linked Mr Odinga to the heckling.
“It is common knowledge that Raila’s sidekicks spent three days in Gusii County plotting how they would disrupt the funeral service and getting their goons at the taxpayers’ expense,” he said.
Mourners at the funeral of the pupils involved in a road accident in Kisii heckled Information and Communication Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i and former minister Sam Ongeri denying them a chance to address them.
“There is no way Raila and his sidekicks can claim ignorance of the goings-on during the service,” he said requesting the Cord leader to stop "disturbing the government". 

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