We are not fighting government, says CORD

Former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Illchamus leader Amos Olempaka in Marigat district, Baringo County, Monday.  [PHOTO: BONIFACE THUKU/STANDARD]

By ROBERT KIPLAGAT and KARANJA NJOROGE

KENYA: CORD leaders took their referendum campaign to Baringo County where they said their call for more funds to the counties should not be mistaken for fighting the government.

The CORD leaders, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka and Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula, were speaking at Sintaan Primary School in Marigat District where they visited over 2,000 residents displaced after Lake Baringo burst its banks.

“We are not going for a referendum to elect anyone or to fight the government. All we want is more funds to be taken to the counties and the best time to begin is now, not wait for 2017,”said Raila.

He said functions such as roads, health, environment, water and agriculture have been devolved but the amounts allocated were so minimal that spurring development would be a hurdle.

Raila said the reason why they voted for theConstitution was because for 50 years after independence, development was yet to get to the grassroots. “For 50 years, development has been controlled from Nairobi and this system has never brought development to the people,” he said.

He also urged the government to resettle all those displaced by floods and hire researchers to establish the cause of the lake’s expansion to avert more losses in future.

Raila also thanked the Illchamus community for voting for CORD in the March 4 General Election.

Divide Kenyans

Wetangula accused the government of misleading the nation over the amount allocated to the counties, saying it was not 32 per cent as they claimed. “If you do the math, the government allocated only 11.8 of the 32 per cent they said. We have no problem with the government but we need more money to develop counties,” said Wetangula.

And Kalonzo said all leaders in CORD and Jubilee should agree to devolve more funds to the counties for the nation’s good. He said the call for a referendum should not divide Kenyans along tribal lines.

“We are not getting Kenyans back to the polls but we want leaders from all political divides to agree to devolve more funds,” he said.

Baringo South MP Grace Kipchoim (URP), who hosted the event, differed with the CORD trio in their call for a referendum, saying the Jubilee government was still “young” and should be given time to perform.

“Kenya is not an electioneering country. We are tired of voting daily. According to the Constitution, devolution takes three years depending on the capacities of the counties and it is still early for that now,” she said.

Earlier, Raila held a meeting with Nakuru CORD leaders as he intensified his push for a referendum in Rift Valley.