I will not retire over pension, says Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga

By James Omoro

Homa Bay, Kenya: Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has cautioned the Jubilee government about pegging conditions to his retirement package.

Speaking at Kanjira Primary School during the homecoming party of Karachuonyo MP James Rege, Raila vehemently opposed the Government’s condition that he could only be accorded pension if he retired from active politics.

Raila said the Government should stop talking about his retirement and vowed to forego the pension if the Government insisted on the condition.

The CORD leader said he was determined to serve Kenyans and would not allow anybody to use pension as a weapon to silence him.

“I admit I have served this country to the extent that I deserve pension, but I cannot quit politics because of the conditions the Government has imposed on me,” Raila said.

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Forego benefits

He warned that he would forego the pension if the Government did not stop imposing conditions on him.

Raila said he suspected the Government was up to no good hence the calls for his retirement from active politics.

“What does the Government want to do to Kenyans that it cannot do while I am in the political arena? It is always in the public domain that whoever has something good for Kenyans does it without any conditions but there must be something bad they want to do that they don’t want me to know. Let them stay with the pension if I have to quit politics,” Raila added.

Raila accused the Government of misleading Kenyans by interfering with independent institutions, a situation he said would jeopardise democracy.

President’s tribunal

Referring to the recent tribunal created by President Uhuru Kenyatta to probe commissioners of the Judicial Service Commision, he said the Judiciary is an autonomous institution that should be left to carry out its mandate without interference from the State.

“The Government has started interfering with the Judiciary and the media. Unfortunately, they also want to limit NGO funding, yet we need money in this country,” Raila said.

The CORD leader called on Kenyans to be ready for a referendum that would enable funds given to county governments increased from 15 to 45 per cent.

“Devolution cannot work well without adequate funds and the only way to ensure this is to increase funds for our county governments from the central government. Therefore, get ready for a referendum when the time comes,” Raila said.