Raila Odinga remains silent on NASA plan

National Super Alliance leader Raila Odinga. (Photo: Boniface Okendo/Standard)

National Super Alliance (NASA) leader Raila Odinga has continued to keep Kenyans guessing, saying he will announce the Opposition’s next move in the coming days.

Speaking a day after he arrived from the United States, Raila said NASA would keep the Jubilee administration fully engaged.

 “From next week, we will be updating Kenyans on a continuous basis on the full range of action plans by NASA to reclaim and defend democracy,” said Raila.

At the same time Raila, who was flanked by NASA by co-principal Musalia Mudavadi during the press conference at Okoa Kenya offices in Nairobi, Saturday claimed that he viewed 15 bodies with gunshot wounds at City Mortuary while three others are at Chiromo Mortuary.

He accused President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto of subjecting Kenyans to untold suffering and asked them to come for him instead of police targeting innocent civilians.

Raila accused President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto of subjecting Kenyans to untold suffering and asked them to come for him instead.

“If am the problem, just come for me. It pained me when I saw bodies of those killed and the injured, who left their homes to welcome me but their courage and conviction came at a very steep price.”

The NASA leader, who spoke just a day after his return to the country from the US was characterised by violent confrontations between police and his supporters, vowed to seek justice for all Kenyans killed by the police through what he called state-sanctioned violence on a civilian population.

“Uhuru and Ruto must take responsibility for the deaths. We have visited City mortuary where there are 15 bodies and was told three are at Chiromo mortuary, with gunshot wounds but records indicate mob justice,” said Raila.

He added, “We have been brought to this sorry state by the criminal desire of the regime to hold on to power by force. We now are being dragged back to our very dark past and all the extraordinary and transformative gains that we have made since the end of Kanu rule in 2002 have gone up in flames.”

He said Jubilee leaders have blood in their hands, and pledged to ensure those killed get a befitting burial.

 “What crime have these people commited? Since when is welcoming someone from a trip oversees a crime? My supporters were blocked from receiving me at the Jomo International Airport and also from going to Uhuru Park,” he said while condemning the killings.

Raila dismissed claims by Jubilee that election re-runs habitually register low voter turnouts, in response to statements that have ascribed the smaller number of votes cast on October 26 to the fact that the presidential elections were repeated.

“We have heard better jokes! Facts: only three court-ordered reruns have previously taken place in history, in Ukraine, Austria and Maldives. Their repeat elections respectively registered 77.3 per cent, 73.1 per cent and 91.4 per cent turnouts, figures which were similar or higher than the nullified elections.Ontita says they are being treated in hospital.