Sack Lenku over insecurity, says Raila
What you need to know:
- Raila criticised President Kenyatta for saying in a televised address that the attacks were politically motivated by political networks and described the President’s statement as “rushed judgment”.
- Raila has maintained that all Cord rallies, including the Saba Saba day rally scheduled for Nairobi next month, will continue as long as the government is unwilling to initiate the talks that the opposition has demanded.
Cord leader Raila Odinga Wednesday rejected calls to suspend the planned Saba Saba rally in Nairobi and denied claims that he was responsible for the Mpeketoni attacks in Lamu in which 60 people were killed.
Mr Odinga asked President Kenyatta to immediately start a major overhaul of the national security system.
He said Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku and his defence counterpart, Ms Raychelle Omamo, were incompetent and should either resign or be sacked.
Addressing a news conference at the Serena hotel in Nairobi, Mr Odinga also called for the removal of National Intelligence Service chief Michael Gichangi, Inspector-General of Police David Kimaiyo, and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations director, Mr Ndegwa Muhoro.
Other top security officials that he demanded should be kicked out include principal secretaries Mutea Iringo (Interior) and Monica Juma (Defence). According to him, all had failed in their duties.
He also criticised President Kenyatta for saying in a televised address that the attacks were politically motivated by political networks and described the President’s statement as “rushed judgment”.
He said the President’s position intentionally contradicted the opinion of other countries and experts who have blamed Al-Shaabab for the attack.
In his statement, Mr Odinga also accused the state of negligence in handling the killing of over 20 Imams and other Muslim leaders at the Coast, suggesting that this was to blame for the escalation of insecurity in the region.
Asked directly by a journalist whether he was responsible for the attacks Mr Odinga stated: “That is what I have said throughout this statement though he (the President) did not mention my name. I don’t know whether that is what he implied but for the government to come out to say that those rallies are to blame for the attacks is to trivialise a big national disaster.”
He described Mr Kenyatta’s statement as “unfortunate and unjustified” for many reasons.
“More importantly it is likely to compromise the investigations to be conducted to determine and establish the masterminds behind these brutal attacks,” he said.
Condemning the massacre in Mpeketoni, Mr Odinga said there was absolutely no reason why the ongoing Cord rallies should be suspended.
[READ: Pain, terror and death]
One of the reasons Cord has been touring the country was to talk about the deteriorating insecurity. He, however, warned that there could be more trouble if the country was not reconciled through dialogue.
“We want to condemn in the strongest terms possible claims that our rallies may have contributed to the attacks. This is untrue. As Cord we will continue with these rallies because it is now clear that there is need for dialogue,” he said. “Our rallies are discussing top national issues for which we are demanding national dialogue. These include security, corruption, devolution, elections and unity of Kenyans.”
He maintained that all Cord rallies, including the Saba Saba day rally scheduled for Nairobi next month, will continue as long as the government is unwilling to initiate the talks that the opposition has demanded.
On Friday, Cord is expected in Kisii where its leaders will address their third rally.
Wednesday, a group of MPs from both Jubilee including Kajiado Central’s Joseph ole Nkaissery (ODM) and Abdulswamad Nassir (Mvita) appealed for the suspension of the rallies.
“I am urging my brother Uhuru to move with speed to create room for dialogue so we can talk about the stay of our military in Somalia, insecurity, elections, corruption and national unity,” Mr Nassir said.
Mr Odinga, who was accompanied by various Cord MPs, said that the coalition was not interested in seizing power from the Jubilee administration or engaging in power-sharing talks.
“We have made it clear that we are not interested in overthrowing government or discussing how to share power. Tumesema hata robo mkate sisi hatutaki. Tumewaachia wachukue boflo yote (We are not interested even in a slice of the bread. We have left the whole loaf to them.”
On Tuesday, President Kenyatta, while reacting to the attacks in Mpeketoni and Maporomoko, alluded to the existence of intelligence information suggesting political incitement which he blamed on what he termed the polarising political rallies, ethnic profiling and hate politics.
Wednesday, Mr Odinga told the President to seize the moment and use his position to unite the country.
“The President is the head of National Security Council which exercises supervisory control over national security organs,” he said.
“We urge him to overhaul and reconstitute Kenya’s security organs so that they can promote and guarantee national security and ensure that recruitment by the national security organs reflects the diversity of the Kenyan people in equitable proportions.”
