Senate Minority Leader Moses Wetangula flanked by other Cord members
during a press conference at Parliament buildings on June 24, 2014.
PHOTO / DENISH OCHIENG / NATION MEDIA GROUP
Cord leaders have accused the Director
of Public Prosecutions of being used by the ruling coalition to
frustrate opposition members in performing their constitutional role of
checking the government.
The leaders Tuesday said they
were not convinced that the summons to record statements relating to
speeches delivered during recent Cord rallies were genuine but a ploy to
intimidate them using constitutional offices.
They
also accused police of asking them “ridiculous and laughable” questions
when they presented themselves at CID headquarters on Monday.
Senate
Majority Leader Moses Wetangula led a dozen of top Cord leaders to
contest the summons at a press conference at Parliament Buildings on
Tuesday where they made the accusation.
“We want DPP
Keriako Tobiko to come out clear on this. We want him to tell Kenyans
that he is not part of the group intimidating us and that he is not
being used by the government to frustrate those with opposing views,”
said Mr Wetangula.
Opposition leaders have been
summoned to record statements with the police in relation to speeches
they allegedly made when they addressed rallies in Mombasa, Nairobi and
Migori.
'LAUGHABLE' QUESTIONS
On Monday, Mombasa Senator Omar Hassan, nominated counterpart Elizabeth Ongoro and Suna East MP Junet Mohammed recorded statements at the CID offices in Nairobi.
Mr Wetangula said those summoned had been asked questions that were “ridiculous and at best laughable.”
“This
is a clear manifestation by the Jubilee government to frustrate and
intimidate those with different shades of opinion…we would not allow
that to happen because the Bill of Rights enshrined in the Constitution
was painstakingly fought for,” added the Majority Leader, also Bungoma
Senator.
Mr James Orengo, Mr Hassan and Mr Mohammed
were present during the press conference but did not address
journalists. Mr Wetangula was also not willing to reveal the allegedly
ridiculous questions, saying the matter was under investigation and
therefore did not warrant a revelation.
Last Friday,
DPP Tobiko asked the police to summon politicians from Cord and Jubilee
coalitions for uttering speeches deemed to have been hateful. The DPP
said he was acting after receiving a police file, citing individuals who
had allegedly uttered hate speeches.
'FREEDOM OF SPEECH'
The opinion said they had exercised their freedom of speech and had been careful not to use it wrongly.
Also
summoned from Cord were Senators Johnson Muthama (Machakos), Dr Bonny
Khalwale (Kakamega) and MPs Jakoyo Midiwo (Gem), Tom Kajwang (Ruaraka)
and Simba Arati (Dagoretti North).
From Jubilee were MPs Maina Kamanda (Starehe), Kimani Ichungwah (Kikuyu), and Mary Wambui (Othaya).
The
opposition coalition also decried the government’s handling of attacks
that followed the deadly Mpeketoni massacre on June 15 that saw at least
60 people brutally killed.
“The President almost
declared a state of emergency when Mpeketoni attack occurred but we are
not seeing the same urgency in Baringo, Wajir and now Witu. This double
application of standards is what we are opposed to. All Kenyans are the
same,” said Mr Wetangula.
Fighting between two clans
has broken up in Wajir and the police have asked politicians from the
County to record statements. A spate of cattle rustling has also hit
Baringo County leading to several deaths.
The leaders said they would not be kept silent when the country was descending into more trouble.
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