Rasanga wants Cord governors to pull down Uhuru portraits

Siaya County Governor Cornel Rasanga addresses Siaya residents. The governor said the call to pull down the portraits was relevant since Mr Odinga remains a symbol of good leadership who must be respected. PHOTO | TOM OTIENO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The Siaya County boss said Mr Odinga’s activities in counties that voted in Cord governors should not always be a matter of concern by critics of the opposition leader.
  • Mr Opiyo Wandayi, the ODM Secretary for Political Affairs, said governors must be treated as presidents of their counties.

Siaya Governor Cornel Rasanga has asked his counterparts in 24 counties controlled by Cord to see to it that President Uhuru Kenyatta’s portraits are replaced with those of opposition chief Raila Odinga.

Mr Rasanga said doing so would confirm their support for the Cord leader.

“It will also be a mark of honour for Raila,” he said.

The governor said the call was relevant since “as Cord counties, Mr Odinga remains a symbol of good leadership who must be respected”.

The Siaya County boss said Mr Odinga’s activities in counties that voted in Cord governors should not always be a matter of concern by critics of the opposition leader.

“When a principal secretary visited my office last week and found only my portrait and that of Mr Odinga, I explained to her that we want the same to happen in 24 counties,” Mr Rasanga told a crowd at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University grounds in Bondo on Saturday.

The Cord team gathered for the memorial service of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and Fidel Odinga.

“We only need to hang our portraits as governors and that of Raila in our offices. We don’t need the other one,” he said, adding that only courageous people can do what he had done in Siaya.

At the ceremony, attended by Mr Odinga and his Cord co-principal Moses Wetang’ula alongside Narc-Kenya leader Martha Karua, the ODM leaders asked President Kenyatta “to stop lording over governors while touring counties”.

RESOLVE JOHO ISSUE
Mr Opiyo Wandayi, the ODM Secretary for Political Affairs, said governors must be treated as presidents of their counties.

“When visiting any of the 47 counties, President Kenyatta must recognise the fact that he is being hosted by fellow presidents. He must not dictate the terms of engagement like we saw in the Coast recently,” Mr Wandayi said.

The Ugunja MP was among the leaders who condemned the closure of Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho’s container depots.

“If there is suspicion that Mr Joho is involved in illegal business, why not investigate the claims instead of killing the livelihoods of thousands of Kenyans?” he asked.

“These are some of the repressive actions that we have been fighting for years.”

Mr Odinga also demanded that Mr Joho’s premises be reopened.

“We cannot allow the government to take the country to the dark days of using economic sabotage to silence any form of opposition,” he said.

Taita-Taveta Woman Representative Joyce Lay said ODM would not rest until the Joho matter was resolved and operations at the container terminal resumed.