Shape up! Raila tells security agencies

Posted by LABAN WANAMBISI and PMPS on November 25, 2012

Odinga was addressing an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) rally at Kabiro grounds in Kawangware, Nairobi. Photo/ PMPS

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 25 – Prime Minister Raila Odinga has directed security agencies to rigorously enforce the law and stem the rising cases of lawlessness.

Saying security was critical to the stability of the country, Odinga expressed concern that if not checked, insecurity could retard the general development of Kenya.

Odinga was addressing an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) rally at Kabiro grounds in Kawangware, Nairobi where he reiterated that it was the responsibility of the government to protect people and their property.

The PM however cautioned against haphazard arrests and detention of innocent people saying the police must serve the people and not harass them.

“The police must be servants of the people and not their tormentors,” he said.

Odinga also spoke on food security saying an ODM government will put in place programmes that will make the country self sufficient in food production. “We do not envisage a situation when the country will go begging for food handouts from our friends outside neither do we want any of our counties to be food deficient when we are elected into government next year.”

Saying ODM had the best policies for the growth of the economy, the PM noted that once fully implemented the economy will grow at double digits and create more job opportunities for the youth of this country.

Among the programmes ODM has for the youth, he added, is training them on business management techniques, and then give them grants as seed money before extending loan facilities to them. “This programmes are in our manifesto and will only be realised with an ODM government in place,” he stated.

He also touched on education and health, saying the accessibility to these two very important social services was still wanting nationally. “ It is crucial that all children are accessed these services and more irrespective of whether their parents can afford them or not,” he added.

Once again, Odinga blamed underdevelopment in the country to poor policies that have been in existence in the country for the last fifty years which put a high premium on ones tribe and not their ability to perform or deliver.

He said, “Those building tribal alliances to make the numbers to take over the leadership of the country want the country to continue with another fifty years of this underdevelopment.”

On voter registration, the PM repeated his appeal to eligible Kenyans to register as voters in the ongoing voter registration exercise to be able vote in leaders that will bring the desired change to the country.