Shun Cord funds-drive, Jubilee tells Kenyans
Senate Majority Leader and Tharaka-Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki at a past event. Senator Kindiki and other Jubilee MPs and senators on September 24, 2015 asked Kenyans not to send money to a paybill number the Opposition provided to help collect cash for striking teachers. PHOTO | CAROLINE CHEBET | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The more than 30 lawmakers, on Thursday, told Kenyans not to contribute a coin to the number, saying the scheme is aimed at extorting money from them.
- Following the Cord rally, the lawmakers from the ruling coalition plan to hold a similar one Saturday to defend the way the government has handled the job boycott.
- However, Jubilee MPs said the plan is not genuine, adding that it is a campaign fund for the Opposition in the next elections.
Jubilee MPs and senators Thursday asked Kenyans not to send money to a paybill number the Opposition provided to help collect cash for striking teachers.
The lawmakers said the funds would be used by Cord for campaigns before the 2017 General Election.
They also asked Inspector-General of Police Joseph Boinnet to arrest Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama within the next 24 hours for allegedly insulting President Uhuru Kenyatta and Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru during an opposition rally on Wednesday.
The more than 30 lawmakers, on Thursday, told Kenyans not to contribute a coin to the number, saying the scheme is aimed at extorting money from them.
They criticised the opposition leaders for failing to come up with practical solutions to the ongoing teachers’ strike.
A RUBUTTLE RALLY
The Jubilee lawmakers held two successive press conferences at Parliament on Thursday afternoon, one led by TNA Chairman Johnson Sakaja and another by Senate Majority Leader Kithure Kindiki.
“Cord made a ridiculous proposal to dubiously solicit money from Kenyans via a paybill to allegedly help pay teachers. This is clearly a lame attempt at fundraising for other ulterior motives. We ask Kenyans to keep their hard-earned money. No one should fall victim to this pyramid scheme. Who will control these funds? Who are the signatories other than Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka?” Prof Kindiki asked.
Following the Cord rally, the lawmakers from the ruling coalition plan to hold a similar one Saturday to defend the way the government has handled the job boycott.
During the rally at Uhuru Park in Nairobi, Cord leader Raila Odinga asked Kenyans to send their contributions to paybill number 672672, saying the money collected would be used to pay teachers.
CAMPAIGN DRIVE
However, Jubilee MPs said the plan is not genuine, adding that it is a campaign fund for the Opposition in the next elections.
“The entire country was shocked and embarrassed when it was treated to a circus by Cord yesterday (Wednesday). They displayed lack of ideas.
“Their speeches had nothing to do with the strike. They, instead, insulted the President and CS Waiguru in a manner that is unbecoming,” Mr Sakaja said.
Mr Sakaja claimed the number is linked to an offshore account. However, he failed to provide the account number and the name.
The MPs also took issue with utterances made by Mr Muthama at the rally, saying they amounted to hate speech.
HATE SPEECH
Dagoretti South MP Dennis Waweru said he had written to the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), asking for action to be taken against the senator over hate speech.
“During the rally, the senator ridiculed key State officers in the most despicable languages,” said Mr Waweru in a petition to the NCIC.
Nominated Senator Beth Mugo said Mr Muthama abused all women during the rally, asking him to apologise for the diatribe.
“The Opposition did not seem to have any agenda. It seems they only wanted to attack the President and women. Women of this country are really angry with what the senator said about Anne Waiguru,” she said.
