Raila calls off Cord rallies set for Nakuru and Kisii

Cord Thursday postponed its political rallies scheduled for Kisii Friday and Nakuru on Sunday and instead asked its supporters to use the time to mourn victims of the Mpeketoni violence.

However, the coalition said the rally planned for Kakamega on Saturday would go on as planned.

The other rallies will be held as planned in the build-up to the Saba Saba day rally in Nairobi on July 7.

DRUM UP SUPPORT

Thursday, Cord held a series of campaign meetings in Bonchari ahead of a parliamentary by-election set for Monday. Cord leader Raila Odinga said the Kisii rally will be held on July 4, while plans for the Nakuru rally will be unveiled later. He was in the region to drum up support for the ODM candidate, Mr Oroo Oyioka.

On the weekend violence in which more than 60 people were butchered in Mpeketoni, Lamu County, Mr Odinga said: “Our people in Mpeketoni were killed inhumanly and it is quite sad that the authorities did not respond promptly.” He asked those present to observe a minute of silence in honour of the victims.

“Our government was caught napping on its job in providing safety for the Mpeketoni residents and is using the opposition as an excuse.”

He also said Cord will not relent in its push for national talks.

“We will continue to push until the government agrees to dialogue with us,” he said. “Cord rallies will continue until the government agrees to address pertinent issues like corruption, devolution and the IEBC.”

Mr Odinga has, in the past, said that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) should be disbanded. In his response, President Kenyatta asked Cord to follow the procedure outlined in the Constitution to remove the commission from office.

Thursday, Mr Odinga said: “In the March 4 General Election, I know the people of Bonchari voted largely for me. Now please transfer all that support you had for me towards our candidate Oyioka here so that we can work together to develop Bonchari. That is why I came here to say Oyioka Tosha!”

Addressing another crowd in Suneka, Mr Odinga urged voters to look at Cord’s parties as children in a polygamous family “who will eventually return to their respective mothers”.

“When a man is married to many wives, the children in that marriage are free to go out and play during daytime. But when evening comes, all the children go back to their respective homes. When that evening comes in Cord, Ford Kenya will go to their home and ODM will do the same,” he said.

Mr Odinga took a swipe at Mr Onyancha, whose supporters were chanting slogans as he addressed the crowd, by likening him to the “mburukenge”, an animal that only sees but doesn’t hear.

“Come Monday, let the Bonchari residents speak to the ‘mburukenge’ in the language he understands best, which is by being hit hard,” he said.

Reported by Isaac Ongiri, Brian Moseti and Elvis Ondieki