Showdown looms as Raila says Cord will use Uhuru Park

Confrontation looms at Uhuru Park, Nairobi, on Wednesday after Cord leader Raila Odinga vowed to defy the police and hold a Madaraka Day rally at the venue.

He refused to listen to reports that the venue had been booked by a religious group for three days beginning May 31 to June 3 and said Cord would not call off its rally.

“We will go to Uhuru Park for the Madaraka Day celebrations whether the government likes it or not because President Uhuru Kenyatta has moved to Nakuru for the same,” Mr Odinga said on Saturday while officiating over a Mombasa county bursary function at the Mombasa ASK Showground. He was with Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho.

Speaking at the same function, Suna East MP Junet Mohamed told off the police for claiming that the venue had been booked by a Christian organisation, Prayers Beyond Boundaries Ministries. He vowed to be at the venue as early as 6 am on Wednesday.

“Which church conducts prayers on Wednesday?” he asked, casting doubts on the very existence of the organisation. “The ground belongs to the Nairobi County Government and we have already informed it of our intention to use it.”

The battle for the grounds, venue of many historic political gatherings in Kenya’s history, erupted after the county police boss wrote to Kanu Secretary-General Nick Salat informing him that Uhuru Park was unavailable for any other event as it had already been booked by the Christian organisation.

“Reference is made to your letter dated 26th May 2016 on the above subject. Please be informed that the venue, Uhuru Park, is already booked for three days by Prayers Beyond Boundaries Ministries. Your notification of participation on Madaraka Day at the same venue is therefore not approved,” read the letter signed by a Mr Joseck Nasio for the county police boss, dated May 27th.

“They have told us it is not available. It seems they want everybody to go to Afraha because they think that is important to all of us. We will think about it,” Mr Salat said tongue in cheek.

On Saturday, Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero said that only Cord has the licence to use the grounds.

CHURCH PAID SH150,000

“The Nairobi City County Government, the trustees and custodians of Uhuru Park, are not interested in any confusion or politics of grandstanding. We hereby make public the parties with the full unhindered authority and power to use the venue come 1st June, 2016,” the governor said.

To buttress his position, Dr Kidero’s office circulated a letter written by the Nairobi County Government on May 22 confirming that the grounds would be reserved for Cord. 

“We are in receipt of your letter dated May 22 on request to a rally at Uhuru Park Grounds. We have directed the director for Environment, Water and Energy whose sector is in charge of the park to reserve the same for your use on June 1 as per your request,” read the letter authored by the acting county secretary Robert Ayisi to the director of the Cord Secretariat Norman Magaya.

But in a fresh twist, the religious organisation also circulated a document on social media showing that it had already paid the county government Sh150,000 to secure the grounds for prayers on Madaraka Day.

Sources within Mr Odinga’s office who sought anonymity because they are not allowed to leak private conversations said Mr Odinga had met Dr Kidero at his (Odinga) Capitol Hill offices on Thursday evening to discuss possible alternatives should they fail to secure Uhuru Park.

Dr Kidero is said to have assured Mr Odinga that should Uhuru Park become unavailable, he could still use the Nyayo National Stadium which will host the county’s Madaraka Day celebrations.

CONFUSE EVERYBODY

“They agreed that the Cord rally could start after the county government’s Madaraka Day celebrations to be presided over by Kidero,” the source stated.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday afternoon, Cord co-convenor James Orengo said that the Cord rally would go on as they had been given permission by the county government.

He said that the rally would be addressed by Mr Odinga and fellow Cord principals Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang’ula.

The Siaya senator read the hand of the police and the Jubilee government in the issuance of a statement claiming the grounds had been reserved.

“It is only the county government that can give out property or grounds like Uhuru Park, which are part of their assets. I think the police were trying to confuse everybody that some other people had been given that particular ground for celebrations or for services,” he said.

“We think that it is people in Jubilee, having heard that we are going to have a meeting there, who were trying to create this confusion,” added Mr Orengo.

The senator said the rally will be peaceful and urged Kenyans to show up in numbers. The fact that there will not be any other state-led function in Nairobi, he said, was additional assurance that the function will be calm.

On Thursday, Mr Orengo said, the Cord team will head to Kisumu County where it will hold a mass funeral service for those who were killed by police bullets in Kisumu and Siaya during the last anti-IEBC demonstrations.

“Cord has made a decision together with our friends and partners to have a mass funeral service at Kirembe Grounds near the Kisumu International Airport, where church leaders are going to preside over a funeral service for those who died.