Jubilee, Cord MPs headed for a clash at Uhuru Park

What you need to know:

  • Government MPs claim that by holding a parallel national day celebration, Odinga is disrespecting President Kenyatta and the action is tantamount to declaring himself President.
  • Mr Odinga said the rally was not a sign of defiance or disrespect for the government of the day.
  • Jubilee MPs announced they would attend a prayer rally at Uhuru Park on Wednesday.

Jubilee and Cord politicians are headed for a clash at Uhuru Park as opposition leader Raila Odinga reiterated his coalition will be preaching peace, love and unity at a parallel Madaraka Day rally there on Wednesday.

On Sunday, a group of Jubilee members of Parliament said Mr Odinga’s presiding over such a rally would be tantamount to declaring himself President.

Speaking in Mombasa on Sunday, Mr Odinga said the rally, which would be parallel to one to be addressed by President Uhuru Kenyatta in Nakuru, is not a sign of defiance or disrespect for the government of the day.

But the Jubilee MPs announced that they would attend a prayer rally slated for the venue in Nairobi on the same day to protest against attempts by the Opposition to hold a political rally there.

Starehe MP Maina Kamanda told journalists that Jubilee leaders were fed up with what they said were diversionary tactics by Cord and vowed to protect the Presidency from incessant attacks from the Opposition.

“Never in the history of this country has the Opposition ever held parallel celebrations to mark a national holiday, as that would be akin to declaring yourself president,” said Mr Kamanda. “That is something we will oppose at all costs.”

VENUE LEGITIMATELY BOOKED

He added that the venue had been legitimately booked for the prayer rally and Cord co-principal Odinga had no business interfering in the business of the Church.

“This planned celebration by Cord, as well as the anti-IEBC protests, are just tactics to ensure that the country is run into chaos,” said Mr Kamanda. “Raila wants a nusu-mkate government and we will not give it to him.”

Mr Kamanda was flanked by Dagoretti South and Embakasi South MPs Denis Waweru and John Ndirangu, respectively, who both made strong statements against Cord’s planned rally.

“We will be at Uhuru Park to pray on Wednesday and we will not entertain disruptive political shenanigans by Cord to use the grounds on that day,” said Mr Waweru.

Nairobi County has been thrown into confusion over whether the grounds have been booked by evangelist Lucy wa Ngunjiri of Prayers Beyond Boundaries Ministries for a three-day rally starting Tuesday or by Cord to hold parallel Madaraka Day celebrations on Wednesday.

HOLD PARALLEL RALLY

Cord politicians said at the weekend they would hold the rally despite a letter from the Nairobi County police boss stating that the grounds were unavailable.

Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero, a member of Cord, however, threw a spanner in the works by saying the venue would be reserved for Cord’s use.

Reacting to Mr Odinga’s determination to hold his rally, Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery said the government was only concerned about insecurity.

“Kenya is now at a crossroads,” said Mr Odinga at ACK Mombasa Memorial Cathedral, where he attended Sunday Mass.

“There is a crisis in the country and we need a solution. We need a country where everybody matters.”

He called on the clergy to intensify its voice on the IEBC debate, saying it is crucial and needed at this time when the country is facing a crisis in its electoral process.

Reported by Daniel Nyassy, Mwakera Mwajefa and Jacqueline Kubania