Kenya: The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) is planning a series of street protests and court action to block the enactment of the anti-terror laws that it says are retrogressive.
CORD leader Raila Odinga yesterday said Kenyans will no longer sit back and watch their freedoms being rolled back and rights taken away.
The opposition leader said they will turn to the Senate to vet the laws should the National Assembly pass them, or move to court in case the Senate route fails, and finally resort to mass action should the court process fail to bear fruit.
"Sisi tunatoa onyo kwa rais kwamba punda amechoka na hivi karibuni ataanza kupiga mateke," (We are telling the president that the donkey is tired and soon it will start throwing its kicks)," Raila said.
He added: "We will ask Kenyans to rise up against these laws that seek to turn Kenya into a dictatorship. There are three options; Senate, legal action or mass action. If Senate fails, we shall move to court and if court fails, we shall mobilise Kenyans to the streets."
With the Security Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2014 that is being pushed through the National Assembly, the CORD leader added Kenyans were being thrown back to the afternoon of June 9, 1982, when Kanu officially made Kenya a single party State.
Speaking at Ufungamano House in Nairobi, Raila regretted that "on the eve of Kenya's 51st independence anniversary, the country is on the verge of being taken back to the dark past that we thought we had put behind us forever".
Raila was accompanied by Senate Minority leader Moses Wetang'ula and senators Johnstone Muthama (Machakos), James Orengo (Siaya), Anyang' Nyong'o (Kisumu) and Hassan Omar (Mombasa).
"As we meet here, a regime hell bent on reinventing the past is rushing through our National Assembly an amendment Bill that if passed, takes us back to the 1980s, although its consequences could be much worse," Raila said.
CORD leaders described the Security Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2014, as a major assault on democracy and fundamental rights.
"We can tell when danger is coming our way. We can tell when excuses are being invented to limit our rights and freedoms and institute dictatorship and personal rule. That moment is with us now," Raila added.
The CORD leader hit out at the Jubilee Government, saying the move vindicates their suspicions that President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto are uncomfortable with the Constitution and are looking for an excuse to take Kenya to the old order.
"The Kanu single party era, with its abuses, institutionalised corruption, muzzling of free press, freedom of association and freedom of thought remain the model for President Kenyatta and his deputy," said Raila.
He added: "Under the Public Order Act , Jubilee wants to give the Cabinet Secretary powers to, via gazette notice, designate the areas where, and times at which public meetings, gatherings or public processions may be held. This is unconstitutional. It seeks to limit right of peaceful assembly under Article 37 of the Constitution by making it subject to the whims of the Executive."
