Sunday, January 31, 2016
Cord leader Raila Odinga addresses the crowd during a joint memorial
service of the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and Fidel Odinga at Jaramogi
Oginga Odinga University Grounds on January 30, 2016. Mr Odinga urged Mr
Kenyatta to recognise the role that his father played in the clamour
for independence. PHOTO | TONNY OMONDI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Cord leader Raila Odinga on Sunday asked Jubilee to live by the
ideals that his father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, fought for when Kenya’s
founding President Jomo Kenyatta was still in prison
.
.
He
said it was sad that the country, under the rule of President Uhuru
Kenyatta, still suffered illiteracy, corruption, theft of public
resources and poor health care.
Mr Odinga urged Mr Kenyatta to recognise the role that his father played in the clamour for independence.
The
ODM leader said the country has received a raw deal since independence
and it was time for Cord to take over the mantle of governing Kenya to
the heights envisioned by the founders.
He said Jubilee
must not be allowed a second term in office following allegations of
corruption against the Treasury, Kenya Revenue Authority, Supreme Court,
office of the Deputy President, among other state departments.
At
the same time, he said the march for the presidency in 2017 by the Cord
coalition led by himself, Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang’ula was
unstoppable.
The Cord leader said the mediocrity of the
government has ultimately given Kenyans a raw deal and the 2017 General
Election will be a date for Kenyans to shape their destiny.
“Jubilee
is keen on cancelling the gains achieved by the great people who worked
with Jaramogi. We will not allow a reversal of gains on things that our
founding fathers fought for,” Mr Odinga said.
The Cord leader said Jubilee has no regard for the constitution as it has continuously staged amendments to statute laws.
“We are telling Jubilee that we will not allow them to take us back to the dark days,” Mr Odinga said.
“We
will not be cowed by attempts to silence us in our support bases or
anywhere in this country,” he said. Mr Odinga spoke at Jaramogi Oginga
Odinga University of Science and Technology in Bondo during the memorial
service for his father and son Fidel Odinga.
“We will
not allow agents of mediocrity to reverse the gains that we fought for
in the new constitutional dispensation which they did not support in the
first place. No force on earth can stop our quest to form the next
government,” he said.
COME VOTE
The
Cord team took a swipe at Jubilee, accusing it of using authorities
such as the Kenya Revenue Authority to frustrate ODM members.
They
said attempts to silence Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, Senator
Wetang’ula, Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya and other Cord
supporters would not succeed.
Mr Odinga said the government must move with speed to reopen the Joho family premises which were closed.
“We condemn the frustration meted out on Joho. Let them reopen the warehouses as soon as possible,” Mr Odinga said.
Mr
Wetang’ula said Jubilee should concentrate on explaining to Kenyans
issues of the Eurobond, corruption at the Judiciary as well as their
sources of funds.
“Why should it be difficult for them
to explain how the Eurobond money was used? What they think is noise
from Cord is substance for wananchi and will get them out of power,” Mr
Wetang’ula said.
On the matter of corruption in the
Judiciary, the Cord team said it will institute measures to see Mr
Odinga’s presidential petition revisited.
“We will not
sit and watch people attempt to rewrite the history of this country as
if Jaramogi did not live to fight for us,” Mr James Orengo said.
The leaders asked their supporters to come out in large numbers and enrol as voters when the registers are opened next month.
Ms Martha Karua, Narc Kenya leader, said she will work with the Cord team since they shared the same ideals.
“That is why I have always asked you to look for votes all over the country beyond your strongholds,” Ms Karua said.
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