Anyang’ Nyong’o blames URP for chaos in referendum push

ODM secretary-general Anyang’ Nyong’o (right) and executive director Magerer Langat address journalists at the party’s Orange House headquarters in Nairobi on September 23, 2014. They criticised the Nakuru County government for confiscating booklets used to collect signatures for the Okoa Kenya referendum campaign. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL |

What you need to know:

  • Dr Langat is among governors who have broken ranks with the Jubilee Coalition to support the Pesa Mashinani drive.
  • The clashes come ahead of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s planned visit to the county where his deputy, Mr Ruto, and the URP party enjoy massive support.

ODM officials on Tuesday protested after the party’s drive to collect signatures for the referendum campaign was disrupted when county askaris in Nakuru confiscated the opposition coalition’s booklets.

The party’s secretary-general, Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o accused Nakuru Governor Kinuthia Mbugua of displaying “primitive tactics” after the askaris confiscated the booklets from clerks collecting signatures for the Okoa Kenya referendum campaign.

“We wish to remind Mr Mbugua that this is a new era and that his style of administration, that of intimidation and oppressiveness which he adopted while serving in the provincial administration is not welcome in the present dispensation,” Prof Nyong’o said in a statement.

The party also asked URP, a partner in the ruling Jubilee Coalition, to apologise to Kenyans over Monday’s attack on a Nandi County official when rival groups clashed during a campaign for the referendum.

Nandi County chief of staff Simon Kosgey was admitted to hospital with head injuries after the confrontation between supporters of Governor Cleophas Langat and a group opposed to the referendum to determine whether more money from the national Budget should be allocated to counties.

'BARBARIC'

Dr Langat is among governors who have broken ranks with the Jubilee Coalition to support the Pesa Mashinani drive which is spearheaded by governors.

The campaign is running parallel to a similar one by ODM and other parties affiliated to the Opposition Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord).

The Nandi violence was “barbaric, shameful and intolerable,” ODM leaders told a press conference at Orange House.

“We call on URP leaders to stop provoking and intimidating Governor Langat and his government,” Prof Nyong’o said.

Dr Langat has been under pressure from other leaders, including Nandi Senator Stephen Sang, to change his stance.

Mr Sang, five MPs and URP officials had on Monday called a meeting in Kapsabet Town where they resolved to impeach the governor if he stuck to his guns.

It was during the meeting that the chaos broke out and Mr Kosgey was injured.

Former Kapsabet mayor David Ngetich was among those arrested over the incident.

ODM warned that politics of intolerance could lead to uglier scenes.

“The URP leadership needs to apologise to Kenyans while observing proper political etiquette required in a democratic and civilised society,” Prof Nyong’o said and warned leaders opposed to the amendment of the Constitution that the “referendum train left the station many weeks ago”.

NOT POLITICAL

The Council of Governors condemned Monday’s violence and asked police to take stern action against the people involved and their financiers.

“It is shocking because we do not expect intolerance to go to that extent. It’s horrible and we condemn it in the strongest terms,” said Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto, who is also the council’s chairman.

On Tuesday, Mr Ruto said in Nairobi that such incidents should be avoided to prevent chaos.

He said the incident had nothing to do with political rivalry between him and Deputy President William Ruto, stating that the referendum drive was not political, but issue-driven.

“This is the sort of thing that can spiral into violence and we do not want it to continue. We ask others not to be angry over this matter and no one should seek revenge,” he said.

Governor Lagat, who was attending a conference in Nairobi when the chaos broke out in Nandi, called for tolerance, saying the democratic space had been widened after the adoption of the new Constitution.

He was commenting on the Monday chaos for the first time.

“Everyone has his own freedom and rights as enshrined in the Constitution,” Dr Lagat said. “The Pesa Mashinani drive does not go against the tenets of the United Republican Party but reinforces the need for more resources at the county to fulfil Jubilee’s election pledges.”

The clashes come ahead of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s planned visit to the county where his deputy, Mr Ruto, and the URP party enjoy massive support.

Last Friday, Mr Ruto visited Eldoret and met with URP’s North Rift pointmen and implored them to rally against calls for a referendum.

Governor Lagat is spearheading the Pesa Mashinani referendum drive while Senator Sang and members of Parliament Kirwa Bitok (Mosop), Cornelius Serem (Aldai), Elijah Lagat (Chesumei) and Woman Representative Zipporah Kering are opposed to it, arguing that it amounts to undermining Deputy President Ruto and the Jubilee administration in the region.

Reported by Muchemi Wachira, Samuel Karanja, Barnabas Bii and Tom Matoke.