Brace for tough times ahead, Uhuru told

Cord leaders Friday said President Uhuru Kenyatta should brace himself for hard times ahead.

Speaking in Migori at the burial of Rosa Oyoo, the mother Mrs Ida Odinga, Cord co-principals Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang’ula said they will do whatever it takes to rescue the country from what they called “gross mismanagement, corruption, escalating ethnicity and insecurity”.

“The window for dialogue is officially closed after the Jubilee  administration triviliased our call for national dialogue,” Mr Odinga said.

Cord leaders took a hardline stand even as Deputy President William Ruto dismissed the referendum calls. Speaking at Enoo Saen primary school in Kilgoris Constituency, Narok County, during a funds-drive, Mr Ruto said said the challenges facing the country can be solved without subjecting Kenyans to another mini-election

“You do not need a referendum to reduce the prices of food. You simply stop policking and re-direct your energies to development and grow the economy,” he said.

Yesterday, Mr Odinga said: “They are still waiting for rain and yet they have not realised the rain is already beating them. They will soon know people power is supreme,” said Mr Odinga.
Mr Musyoka said Jubilee leaders thought they would storm State House on Saba Saba Day.

“But we are responsible leaders and knew what we were doing. We did not want our supporters to shed blood,” he noted.

The former VP faulted the government for sending 15,000 police officers  to guard and “terrorise harmless Kenyans” at Uhuru Park instead of deploying them to combat Al-Shabaab militia in the Coast.

Saviour of Kenyans

Mr Musyoka said: “We will work together in this coalition because we are the remaining saviour of Kenyans.”

Mr Wetang’ula said: “We are now moving to phase two of our battle through referendum. The Saba Saba spirit is still very much alive and active.”
The Bungoma Senator said Mr Kenyatta and the deputy president should not brand other leaders as noise makers.

He said 40 per cent of the national Budget  must be allocated to counties to spur development at the grassroots.

He said Mr Kenyatta should to stop visiting some parts of Kenya to attend funerals and home-coming parties and yet he was busy launching projects in his favoured areas.  
He said the Head of State should respond to a letter written to him by Mr Odinga.

Homa Bay Senator Otieno Kajwang’ charged that the Jubilee administration “was a Government of business deals out to defraud Kenyans”.

Siaya Senator James Orengo  and his nominated colleague Elizabeth Ongoro said the Okoa Kenya Movement launched last week by Cord was unstoppable.

Migori Senator Wilfred Machage and his Kisumu counterpart Anyang’ Nyongo said the Jubilee leaders feared referendum because they “know they have mishandled Kenyans and will lose miserably in the vote”.

Jubilee nominator Emma Mbura said women leaders from both sides of the political divide would organise the national dialogue if men fail to agree.