CORD lines up reforms for civil service, land

By Peter Opiyo

Nairobi, Kenya: The Coalition of Reform and Democracy (CORD) leadership stressed the need for proper and effective management of land as a key resource in raising the country’s economic status.

Speaking at the launch of the coalition’s manifesto, Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka said Kenya still remains an unequal society where few individuals own large swathes of land lying idle at the expense of the majority.

They said CORD would ensure that land is put into better management and that inequalities arising out of allocation of land would be addressed.

“This is unequal society where someone kills the other over an acre piece of land yet someone owns land the size of a province. This country would be changed by Kenyan patriots not hypocrites,” said Raila, who is the coalition’s Presidential aspirant.

Kalonzo said these inequalities would be addressed within the law and that sanctity of titles would be respected, adding that the National Land Commission would be empowered to ensure inequalities in land ownership is addressed.

“CORD will implement the constitutional provision to address inequalities on land. We will make sure land is adequately used and we will respect the sanctity of titles,” said Kalonzo, who is Raila’s running mate.

Do justice

“The time to do justice is here with us, we will enable the National Land Commission to perform its function,” he added.

He took a swipe at the Jubilee coalition leadership saying they are just serving their interests.

“If they knew the rule of law, some of them would not be standing like me here campaigning. The interest of this country overrides individual interest,” said Kalonzo.

Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and former Eldoret North MP William Ruto are the flag bearers of the Jubilee Alliance and are facing crimes against humanity charges at International Criminal Court over the 2008 post-poll violence.

Kalonzo said CORD would ensure justice is served to both the victims and the accused.

Reform public service

“We have demonstrated commitment and we will do justice to all Kenyans. Under CORD you will be in safe hands,” said Kalonzo.

Trade Minister Moses Wetangula and Raila said CORD would also transform the Public Service to ensure it is run professionally and effectively as required by the new Constitution.

“CORD government will reform and restructure the public service in line with the Constitution,” said Wetangula.

Raila said a bureaucratic public service has been a major challenge in the implementation of government policies during the five years he has served as PM.

The leaders also criticised Jubilee alliance for branding them old guards, saying leadership is about ideas and not age.

“Age is just but a number, leadership is in ideas, so you can be very young but very old in ideas and you can be old but young in ideas,” said the PM.

Sports Minister Ababu Namwamba said neither Uhuru nor Ruto did anything constructive for the country in their youth compared to Raila who fought for reforms and social justice at his prime and dismissed the age talk being propagated by the two.

“Leadership is not about biological age, it is about ideological age,” said Ababu.

He said the CORD manifesto would transform Kenya into an economic giant in Africa.