Raila reveals Jubilee plot to wreck Nasa

National Super Alliance (Nasa) leader Raila Odinga has revealed what he claims is an elaborate plot by the Jubilee government to destabilise the opposition by targeting its leaders.

This came as it emerged on Saturday that Mr Odinga could be planning a trip to Washington to directly explain to American lawmakers the opposition’s position on the elections and Kenya’s political situation.

JUBILEE PLOT

Speaking to MPs allied to the opposition coalition in a closed-door meeting, whose full details the Sunday Nation has obtained, Mr Odinga warned legislators and party officials that “the enemy was on the prowl” and urged them to tighten their belts and brace for a long political battle in the push for electoral justice.

Mr Odinga said the Jubilee plot, which entails carrot-and-stick manoeuvres, involves approaching some Nasa leaders with promises of appointments to plum positions in government, enticing them with money and threatening those who do not play ball.

According to the Nasa leader, the scheme targets all the four principals in the coalition, led by himself, Mr Kalonzo Musyoka, Mr Musalia Mudavadi and Mr Moses Wetang’ula.

Only Mr Mudavadi was present at the function. Mr Musyoka is in Germany on a private visit while Mr Wetang’ula was said to be out of town.

The scheme, Mr Odinga noted, is designed to isolate each of them to weaken the constituent parties in the coalition with the ultimate aim of boosting Jubilee’s dominance and effectively making Kenya a one-party State through the backdoor.

BRIBERY

Mr Odinga claimed he had been a victim of bribery and that he had been offered up to Sh25 billion by some individuals he did not name to have him retire from politics.

He added that he had rejected the overtures the same way Jesus Christ did when he was tempted by the devil. “Jubilee Party is watching our every step. They want to know Raila’s every move and I am sure they are listening to what I am saying here,” Mr Odinga told the legislators.

The Nasa leader claimed that people linked to Jubilee had offered him a huge financial payout, which he said amounted to bribery, besides the offer of being engaged as Kenya’s ambassador-at-large with elaborate international duties.

“Somebody came to me with Sh3 billion so that I go into retirement. He later increased the figure to Sh5 billion, later Sh10 billion and finally to Sh25 billion. But I kicked the person out the way Jesus mocked the devil with his temptation,” he said, adding that similar attempts had been made on Mr Mudavadi.

Mr Odinga said: “The ultimate aim of all these schemes is to make Kenya a one-party state. They will tell you Kenya does not need multipartism.”

RESISTANCE

He told the gathering that included senators, members of the National Assembly and county assemblies, that President Kenyatta’s government has grown increasingly uncomfortable with the rise of the resistance movement and had concluded that the only way out was to neutralise the opposition.

“They know our brother Kalonzo [Mr Musyoka] is having problems that...” he said without revealing the nature of the problem, saying it will not be a surprise if government operatives took advantage of the situation to approach the Wiper Party leader.

“They will then dangle a position in the cabinet and thereafter raid Wiper to ensure his MPs cross over to Jubilee Party because their aim is to create a single party state and eventually remove presidential term limits.”

Mr Odinga told the opposition legislators in the Tuesday strategy meeting to remain steadfast if the coalition is to achieve its goals. “The Jubilee regime is watching our every move. It is following every pronouncement Raila is making as part of this elaborate scheme whose purpose is to weaken the opposition and ensure the national resistance movement does not fly,” he said when he addressed the Nasa Parliamentary Group meeting at Wiper Party headquarters. Proceedings of the meeting were kept secret.

STRATEGY

The opposition — which has created a National Resistance Movement wing — then went on to unveil a strategy that included forming a People’s Assembly, protests and economic boycott, among others.

Mr Odinga withdrew from the October 26 repeat election that was controversially won by President Uhuru Kenyatta. Nasa has instead called for electoral reforms before holding another election.
On Saturday, the Leader of Majority in the National Assembly, Mr Aden Duale, declined to comment on the allegations. “I withhold my comments on that,” he told the Sunday Nation.

But Senate majority leader Kipchumba Murkomen dismissed Mr Odinga’s assertion, saying that Jubilee has nothing to do with confusion in the opposition.

“It shows there is little confidence in Mr Odinga that both Mr Mudavadi and Mr Kalonzo are not happy working with him. If that is the case, we shall be all too happy to work with both if they indicate they are willing to work with Jubilee Party,” Mr Murkomen said.

CNN

He also referred to comments by Deputy President William Ruto in an interview with American global news channel CNN just a day after the repeat poll, that Jubilee was not interested in dialogue with the opposition — but could talk about Mr Odinga’s retirement package.

“You have heard them say Raila is too old and he should retire from politics; that the only thing we can discuss with him is his retirement package. I don’t need such dialogue because my retirement package is in the law that President Kenyatta has refused to implement,” he said.

The (Deputy President and Designated State Officers) Act which was enacted in 2014 stipulates that both Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka’s pensions be pegged at 80 per cent of the basic pay they earned while they were in office, in addition to a house, fuel and medical allowances.

BENEFITS

While the Act, which also covers other senior officials in the three arms of government — that is the Deputy President, speakers of Parliament, and Chief Justice — is clear in letter and spirit, President Kenyatta is on record stating that Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka could only access their benefits if they quit active politics.

He told the legislators: “You must remain strong because this is a battle to win but only if we have the unity of purpose. This is a battle to win. It is the beginning of the end."