Arrest errant governors, says CORD leader Raila Odinga

From left: CORD leader Raila Odinga, Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula and Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale at Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega, on Saturday.  [Photo: Benjamin Sakwa/Standard]

By Rushdie Oudia

Kisumu, Kenya: Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga now says corrupt governors should be arrested and prosecuted.

Raila said due legal process should be followed in bringing corrupt governors to book instead of demonising devolution.

The former PM said he is not defending the governors but was concerned about the forces against devolution.

He said the Transition Authority was in charge of the funds from May to September, adding that governors only started handling the development funds later and had few months to utilise them fully.

Raila said some disgruntled governors might have taken advantage of the short period to corruptly use public funds but it does not mean that there should be a blanket condemnation of devolution.

“Any governor who has misappropriated public money must face the law as an individual,” said Raila.

The former PM made the remarks as governors and MPs clashed over the mandate of the Judiciary in the ongoing supremacy wars between the Senate and the devolved governments.

The governors had sought the interpretation of the Constitution on the threshold required to impeach governors, arguing that senators were out to intimidate courts and remove them from office on flimsy grounds.

This comes after the courts reinstated Embu Governor Martin Wambora who was impeached by the county assembly following allegations of corruption.

Respecting court rulings

Sunday, Raila said courts should be respected. “I disagreed with the ruling on the election petition but respected what the courts said since people would have gone to war had I refused,” said Raila urging Parliament to respect court rulings just like he accepted the ‘unfair’ ruling he was given by the Supreme Court.

Speaking at St Stephens Anglican Church of Kenya in Kisumu, Raila said Wambora had a right to be heard by the court before being condemned, claiming that ‘even a thief runs to the courts and church’ to say his side of the story.

He also said devolution is under threat and that the country is currently walking in the ‘valleys of the shadows of death’.