We will not punish you, Raila Odinga tells UhuRuto

Nasa flag bearer Raila Odinga with co principal Musalia Mudavadi during the burial of mama Gladys Onono Amolo in Rarieda constituency Siaya county on May 2017. The diseased was the mother of former Ombudsman chairman Otiende Amollo. PIC BY COLLINS ODUOR

National Super Alliance (NASA) presidential candidate Raila Odinga has said his government will not punish President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto for "ills they have committed" while in power.

"These people have messed up the country but I want assure them that we will not punish them. Instead, we will pay them pension and other benefits. We will not revenge or take punitive measures. We will show Jubilee how to ensure equity and fair distribution of national resources," Raila said yesterday.

But the Opposition leader criticised the President for blaming the Grand Coalition Government, in which he served as Prime Minister, for the high cost of living the country is currently experiencing.

Raila pledged to reduce the cost of living within his first 90 days in office if he is elected President in the August 8 General Election.

"He cannot pass the buck by blaming me and former President Mwai Kibaki for the high cost of living. We did nothing wrong. Furthermore, what happened in 2011 cannot affect the price of maize in 2017," Raila said.

President Kenyatta had said the high cost of maize had also been experienced in 2011 under the Grand Coalition Government.

Raila and Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi warned that they will not support any of their former allies running for various seats as independent candidates.

Speaking in Rarieda, Siaya County, during the funeral of Gladys Onono, mother to the former Ombudsman Otiende Amolo and Nominated Senator Elizabeth Ongoro, the former PM said they wanted a majority in Parliament to help them push their agenda in the national and county governments after winning the election.

"I will only support those in ODM from Nyanza. If you are an independent candidate, know you are not one of us and we urge you to join NASA. We need a team of loyalists because without numbers we will be vulnerable," he said.

Mudavadi asked those who lost in the nominations to swallow their pride and support the winners.

"We have an enormous task of campaigning for our presidential candidate and there may be no time to return to the grassroots to do local politics," Mudavadi said.

The two NASA co-principals said they will embark on a healing process in NASA strongholds to ensure the alliance wins all the political seats in the counties.

"I will soon meet with our people who were unsuccessful during the party nominations because we don't want chaos. I will speak to them and ask them to support us," Raila said.

Raila and Mudavadi said NASA is determined to win the presidential poll against Jubilee in the first round, hence the need to consolidate their support by reaching out to disgruntled politicians who lost in the primaries.

The ODM leader said the Jubilee government had messed up the economy in the four years they have been in power. He linked the rising inflation to mismanagement of the country's resources and corruption in high places.

Area MP Nicholas Gumbo, who is vying for Siaya governor's seat as an independent candidate, and Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo, who is defending his seat also as an independent, conspicuously missed the funeral.

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