Raila fights to calm fears of split in Cord

ODM party leader Raila Odinga on Thursday assured opposition supporters that Cord would agree on a flag-bearer soon.

He downplayed reports of differences among the coalition’s co-principals.

Mr Odinga said all the three were firmly united and that they would agree amicably on who would carry the coalition’s flag in next year’s elections.

He spoke amid fears of a split within the coalition as Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and his Ford-Kenya counterpart, Mr Moses Wetang’ula, were absent from key ODM meetings.

They were conspicuously absent at the recent 10-year anniversary celebrations of the party in Mombasa County two weeks ago.

Addressing a rally at Baraza Park in Kwale Town, Mr Odinga said all was well between him and Mr Musyoka and Mr Wetang’ula.

He added that their unity was intact and that they would also agree on those to be nominated to vie for governorship, Senate and ward representatives on a Cord ticket.

“Some journalists have been writing a lot of things that there are problems in Cord,” he told supporters on the second day of his tour of Kwale County.

“The truth is that there are no problems and we will find a solution on how we will do nominations,” he added.

He asked Cord supporters to remain calm because all outstanding issues would be sorted out smoothly way before the General Election, adding that the party would do all it could to ensure that it fields the best candidates to face off with Jubilee.

“These elections are going to be historic, because for the first time, we are going to have a major regime change in our country and re-order how Kenya is going to be governed from now and 100 years in the future,” he said.

JUBILEE'S FAILURES
The Cord leader accused the government of failing to address the land issue and historical injustices in North Eastern, Nyanza, North Rift, Coast and Western regions.

He said the problems were clearly highlighted in the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission’s report which the government had failed to act on.

“As ODM, we are the people who have the answers to the issue of land because the Jubilee government has clearly shown that it is not interested,” he said.

Mr Odinga declared Kwale County an ODM zone, saying politicians who had ditched the opposition had “dug their political graves” and would not make it in the General Election.

Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya has decamped to Jubilee.

“Today, we have come here to send a message that when you want to go far, walk alone but if you want to walk faster walk with others,” he added.

His sentiments were backed by Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, who said those who had left the party had merely joined other politicians before them such as Kazungu Kambi, Chirau Mwakwere, and Charity Ngilu “who are nowhere to be seen”.

According to Mr Joho, all those who had joined Jubilee would lose the elections.

They are Mr Mvurya, Msambweni MP Khatib Mwashetani, Kwale woman representative Zainab Chidzuga, Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung’aro.

“I would like to tell my brothers and sisters that Jubilee is not their home. They will be used and dumped,” he said.

Kilifi MP Amason Kingi said: “We showed them in Malindi that money is not everything. Therefore, I would like you here in Kwale to do the same by voting out all those who have been bought.”

So far, aspirants Sammy Ruwa, Gereza Dena, Nicholas Zani, Issa Chipera and Mohammed Mwarapayo have expressed interest in the Kwale governor’s seat on an ODM ticket.

Mr Mwakwere has also declared interest in the seat.

They all expressed their allegiance to the party, promising to support whoever would win the nominations.

Mr Musyoka is scheduled to visit Coast region on Thursday, beginning his tour in Tana River, which is considered his stronghold on the basis that Governor Hussein Dado belongs to his Wiper party.