Raila pledges to end insecurity in Baringo as rally disrupted

Nasa Presidential candidate Raila Odinga has promised that his government will deal with rampant insecurity in Baringo County if elected. 

He accused President Uhuru Kenyatta of failing to protect locals from banditry attacks, which have left a trail of death and destruction.

Speaking at rallies in the county on Wednesday, Mr Odinga said the alliance would provide a comprehensive solution to deadly bandit raids on Tugen and Pokot border. 

However, a rally in Kabarnet Town ended prematurely after Mr Odinga  and his co-principals Musalia Mudavadi and Isaac Ruto were heckled by locals, forcing them to cut short the meeting.

HOSTILE

Mr Odinga received a hostile reception in the town and had a difficult time addressing the locals, who were  chanting Jubilee slogans.

Some of the people in the crowd destroyed Nasa posters and threw them to the dais as the leaders addressed them.

They also threw Nasa-branded caps to the  leaders, who were struggling to calm them down.

Police officers deployed to provide security had a difficult time controlling the crowd.

Mr Ruto had to cut short his address after the crowd shouted him down, calling him ‘msaliti’ (traitor).

INSECURITY

Before the heckling, Mr Odinga had told the locals that if elected, his government would deal with the rampant insecurity in the region that has claimed hundreds of lives and left others displaced.

This was, however, met with hostility as the crowds shouted and dismissed the Nasa leaders, saying they were lying for their own interests.

“We want Kenyans especially in the pastoralist communities to co-exist peacefully. The Jubilee government has failed to address  insecurity but we promise that if you vote in Nasa, outdated cultures like cattle rustling and bandit attacks will be a thing of the past,” said Mr Odinga.

“The government has failed in its mandate to protect the lives and property of its citizens. We should not be hearing of people being killed and displaced because of banditry and cattle rustling in this region,” he added.

BANDITS

The Nasa leader condemned the Tuesday afternoon incident where two herders were shot dead by armed bandits at Kapkechir village in Baringo South.

He promised that when voted in, he will address the perennial insecurity in three months.

READ: Baringo insecurity irks candidates

Mr Mudavadi called on the electorates to vote in Nasa, saying the alliance was committed to ensuring equitable distribution of resources to all Kenyans. “Nasa will ensure that the health sector is improved and doctors and nurses are well paid to avoid strikes,” he said.

UNEMPLOYMENT

He noted that more than 12 million youth in the country are unemployed and that Nasa will ensure this is addressed  immediately.

Mr Mudavadi, however, condemned the locals for disrupting their rally, saying everyone should be given a chance to sell his agenda.

Mr Ruto accused Jubilee leaders from the region of paying youths to disrupt their rallies.

“Leaders should desist from using youth to disrupt our rallies. We know those chanting Jubilee slogans were paid to do so. Kenya is bigger than an individual and everyone should be given a fair chance,” said Mr Ruto.

CORRUPTION

He said that corruption, insecurity and land grabbing were taking toll on the Jubilee government, and promised that he will push for a referendum so that 45 per cent of public funds go to grassroots.

Earlier, the three leaders held rallies at Chemolingot, Kabarnet Town and Eldama/Ravine.

The Nasa tour of the region comes three days after President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto toured the region, where they accused Nasa and the Judiciary of scheming to sabotage the August 8 polls.