Coalition for Reforms and Democracy leader Raila Odinga has maintained that he will continue to push for Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru's suspension over attempts by officers in her ministry to defraud the National Youth Service Sh800 million.
Raila said he would continue the opposition's crusade for transparency at NYS.
CORD, which has recently kept up the pressure on the President and his Jubilee administration over corruption, handling of security and allegedly skewed appointments, has attracted the ire of State House and some members of the ruling alliance, who recently defended Waiguru, arguing that she was not under investigation.
The Jubilee Government has even accused Raila and the Opposition of orchestrating a campaign calculated to discredit the Government ahead of the planned visits by US President Barack Obama and Pope Francis.
"I must warn though that the global attention on Kenya ahead of the Obama visit for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit and the visit by His Holiness will attract attention-seeking politicians. These are likely to engage in schemes that depict the Government as corrupt and incompetent," State House spokesman Manoah Esipisu said recently.
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But speaking during the burial of Ogindo Oyamo, a former aide of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga in Kisumu yesterday, the former prime minister dismissed claims that his intention was to create disorder ahead of Obama's visit. He maintained that he would continue to condemn corruption in Government.
"When I demand transparency and accountability, they (the Government) say that I want to create animosity. But I don't want to cause disorder because I am not a mad man," said Raila.
"I am not like Moses Kuria (Gatundu South MP) who told people to use pangas against those opposing NYS."
He could not say whether Obama would meet members of the Opposition during his trip to Kenya on July 24 because "the US President's itinerary is still a highly guarded secret".
He said he was not opposed to the NYS initiatives, but was concerned because "the Government is using the projects as conduits to defraud the public".
"In the previous financial year, NYS was allocated Sh1 billion. In the current financial year, they were allocated a whopping Sh25 billion. What for?" Raila posed. "They are being used as avenues for the Government to make money."
Nyando MP Fred Outa said the ODM legislators who supported the Devolution Cabinet Secretary last Tuesday when she was summoned by the House Departmental Committee on Finance, Trade and Planning must be punished by the party.
At the same time, Raila said they would continue to push for electoral reforms at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) ahead of the 2017 General Election so that there is fairness.
"We want to seal loopholes witnessed in the previous elections to avoid rigging. We can only be confident that the next election will be fair if changes are made," he said.
There have been reports that the party had threatened to boycott the next General Elections if IEBC is not reformed.
The ODM leader also asked politicians in his Nyanza backyard to steadfastly support the party, and said he was trying to woo voters from the Jubilee alliance strongholds to boost ahead of the 2017 General Election.
He said the people from his strongholds must register as voters in large numbers before the next General Election.
"I have penetrated the Kalenjin community alongside other areas that have pledged to support ODM. As I continue to court other regions, as local politicians, you must ensure you remain strong and united," he said.
At the same function, Kisumu Senator Anyang' Nyong'o said Kenyans had lost confidence in the Jubilee Government due to corruption within the administration.
"We are pushing for ODM to form the next government because people have lost faith in the current regime due to insecurity, tribalism and corruption," he said.
In an apparent swing at Nyong'o and Outa, who have been critical of the Kisumu County Government, Governor Jack Ranguma said all elected leaders should stick to their line of duty to avoid conflicts.
"Instead of just making noise, they should push for more money to be devolved to this county in Parliament because my role as a governor is to ensure development," said Ranguma.
Other leaders who attended the funeral included MPs Aduma Owuor (Nyakach) and Rose Nyamunga (Kisumu Women's Representative).
