Stop dividing Kenyans through protests, Uhuru and Ruto tell Raila

President Uhuru Kenyatta addresses residents at Kebirigo Shopping Centre in Nyamira County yesterday. [Photo: Denish Ochieng/ Standard

President Uhuru Kenyatta has warned Opposition leader Raila Odinga against his planned weekly protest marches to the electoral agency’s offices countrywide. “Kenya is run by a Constitution and no one should misuse democracy to break the law,” said

Uhuru in reference to Opposition protests meant to pile pressure on Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) team to leave office.

But in a quick rejoinder, Raila vowed that the protests would go on.

The two leaders got into a heated exchange a day after the Law Society of Kenya defended the picketing by the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) as a constitutional right and also condemned police action of teargassing Raila’s team outside IEBC headquarters last week.

Uhuru for the second time warned the protest organisers that he would not allow the law to be compromised and the nation polarised.

The President and his deputy William Ruto told Opposition leaders agitating for forcible removal of the IEBC commissioners that the country was governed by a Constitution.

“Leaders seeking ejection of IEBC commissioners should follow the law. Raila was very instrumental in passing the same Constitution we have. What he needs to do is to follow the law in having the commission reconstituted or disbanded,” Uhuru said in Nyamira yesterday.

While addressing a delegation of Kamba professionals at State House Nairobi on Tuesday, the President declared: “I respect democracy but I also took an oath to defend the Constitution and unlawful destruction of property as happened yesterday will not be allowed.”

Sober Politics

The President yesterday asked Kenyans to practice “sober politics” that would not push the country to the brink and threaten investments.

“The demos planned by Opposition on Monday may plunge the country into civil strife,” Uhuru warned.

“We ask CORD leaders to use constitutional means of solving problems. We want an IEBC for all Kenyans but use provisions in law instead of unrest and arm-twisting methods, which will hinder the nation from achieving the development agenda by scaring investors and causing tension,” Uhuru said.

“We are all struggling to forget the post-election violence chaos which led to deaths and left thousands of Kenyans displaced. There is no single Kenyan who wishes to see a repeat of the same. Why can’t the Opposition use the Constitution to settle their grievances?” Uhuru asked.

Uhuru added: “It is ironical that Raila who championed the enactment of the new Constitution is now out to violate it instead of protecting it by following its letter and spirit on how to disband IEBC.”

The President was referring to Article 251 of the Constitution that spells out the procedure for the removal of a commissioner from office.

But Raila yesterday insisted that the protests would continue as planned. “We will not be cowed by threats. We believe we are operating within the law and if anyone thinks we are breaking the law he should mention the specific law,” Raila said.

He declared the Opposition was not about to turn back on the push to ensure the Issack Hassan-led team did not conduct next year’s elections.

Uhuru went on: “There is no Kenyan who is above the law and we should all be agents of following what it says. We will not accept this act of breaking into offices.”

“I have no issue with CORD demanding removal of IEBC commissioners. Let them move to Parliament and follow the laid down procedures in accomplishing their mission,” the President said.

He then blamed the collapse of the Kenya-Uganda oil pipeline deal on such violent protests.

“Our neighbours Uganda refused to use the Kenyan route for their petroleum pipeline after Kenyans uprooted the railway line in Kibera at the height post-election violence,” Uhuru said.

Ruto was more blunt in his attacks, accusing Raila of “employing stone-age politics of demonstrating against anything and everything.”

He claimed the Opposition wanted to divide the country on ethnic and political lines and asked Kenyans to shun such moves.

Kisii Tour

The leaders spoke as they began a two-day tour of Gusii, which began in Nyamira and ends in Kisii today.

They addressed five public rallies where the President commissioned construction of three tarmac roads, which will cost Sh2.5 billion and announced  a Sh800 milion budget for upgrading the Nyamira County Hospital to Level 5 status. Later in the day, Uhuru and Ruto retreated to a consultative meeting with leaders from the entire Gusii region among them the 12 area MPs, Governor John Nyagarama, Senator Kennedy Okong’, Assembly Speaker Joash Nyamoko and political aspirants.

For the first time since the public fallout between the President and Kitutu Masaba MP Timothy Bosire in Parliament, the two exchanged hearty handshakes in Nyamira.