Cancel all G7 rallies, Raila says

The G7 Alliance should cancel all their prayer rallies, Prime Minister Raila Odinga said on Sunday.

He said the rallies hosted by deputy PM Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto amounted to inciting the public.

According to Mr Odinga, the rallies in which Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, Transport minister Chirau Mwakwere and Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa were present, had nothing to do with prayers.

“The rallies being held by the two is under the disguise of prayers. A suspect who has committed a crime is not supposed to hold prayers in an open space but behind bars,” Mr Odinga said in an interview with Kass FM on Sunday.

He said the cases of Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto were serious crimes against humanity and the two should not be allowed to walk freely as though nothing happened after the 2007 General Election. During the violence, about 1,333 people lost their lives and over 650,000 were displaced.

The PM said the prayer rallies were plunging communities of the two leaders into confusion with claims that he was behind their indictment at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Mr Odinga said the recent document tabled in Parliament by MPs allied to Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto tabled was forged.

The document alleged that the British Government was working with the ICC to have President Kibaki indicted over the violence after he leaves office.

Yatta MP Charles Kilonzo, who tabled the document on Thursday, accused the United Kingdom of campaigning for Mr Odinga and trying to lock Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto out of the presidential race.

The document indicated that UK wanted the two arrested for allegedly threatening the security of the country through their prayer rallies.

But in response on Friday, British High Commission and the National Security Intelligence Service termed the document as forged.

The country's government has also denied claims that it was backing Mr Odinga’s presidential campaign.

“The UK has no interest in any particular outcome in the General Election and is not backing any particular candidates or parties,” the High Commission said. 

In his statement, Mr Odinga said he appeared to be the target of the document.

He said those behind the document claimed a possible indictment of President Kibaki in an attempt to gain public sympathy and drag other individuals into the matter.

“Kenyans watched ICC proceedings closely, and President Kibaki was not mentioned anywhere as a perpetrator,” the statement said.

Mr Uhuru and Ruto have been holding prayer rallies where they claim that foreign forces, through the ICC, are attempting to curtail their political aspirations.

Other suspects enjoined in the case are Francis Muthaura, who has since stepped aside from his office as Public Service head and journalist Joshua arap Sang.

Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Mutula Kalonzo has been at the forefront in urging the two to drop out of the presidential race on account that their cases have been confirmed by ICC.

The Justice minister said based on Chapter Six of the constitution, the two are technically out of race.

On Sunday, LSK chairman Eric Mutua said the court should interpret whether the two should stand for presidency or not.

“As to whether the four suspects facing the charges may run for political office, we advise that the constitutional institution charged with the responsibility of interpreting the constitution be the judiciary for determination,” he said.  

Mr Mutua said because Kenya is a signatory to the Rome Statute ICC process and its outcome should be respected.