Opposition leader Raila Odinga yesterday held a successful and incident-free meeting in Murang’a.
During the event, Mr Odinga said he has the full blessings of retired President Uhuru Kenyatta to help Mt Kenya people be part of a national agenda of demanding a government that reflects the will of the people, that exercises its mandate in a just and nationalistic manner as opposed “to the current rule of segregation, insults, corruption, chest-thumping and dictatorship”.
On Wednesday, Murang’a County Police Commander David Kainga declared the meeting illegal on grounds that the conveners, led by former Murang’a governor Mwangi wa Iria, had not given a four-day notice as required by the Public Order Act.
Mr Odinga said the directive had come from Mt Kenya power brokers “who have been going around pretending that they are freedom fighters but who have no history of being part of liberation causes in the country”.
State House greenlight
Daily Nation learnt that Mr Kainga’s declaration was overturned by a senior State House operative through Central Region Security Committee, with a directive being given that Mr Odinga be allowed to hold his meeting.
“We were told that Mr Odinga and his handlers had committed themselves to only address an indoor meeting at Mother’s Union Hall without any street activity. We were told to only discreetly cover the meeting without any show of force. We were told that confronting Mr Odinga and his supporters would backfire in the measure of democracy,” said a source at the regional headquarters in Nyeri.
Mr Odinga was accompanied by Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua, Jubilee Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni, DAP Kenya party leader Eugene Wamalwa, Roots Party leader George Wajackoyah, former Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya and former Laikipia governor Ndiritu Muriithi, who collectively blasted the government as ‘illegal’.
Mr Odinga and his entourage did not address any gathering in the streets and announced that a similar meeting will be held in Nyahururu in Laikipia County today.
Mr Odinga said his votes were stolen in a big way, especially in Mt Kenya, and prophesied that local residents will soon start regretting supporting President William Ruto’s government.
“They had promised bottom-up economy, Hustler Fund, the government formed by commoners and low cost of living. They had promised to improve agribusiness returns and jobs for our youths but we are now at our lowest ever where we cannot even pay our civil servants their salaries and fund devolution,” he said.
Ms Karua urged residents to be wary of powerful leaders who want to divide the country along tribal, regional, political and religious lines for easy control.
“We should think nationally in the full knowledge that bad governance hurts across the board just like the way good leadership benefits all…An illegal government that we have should unite all of us in demanding reprieves,” she said.
