I will win State House race, says Raila

By Beauttah Omanga

Prime Minister Raila Odinga took his campaign to Rift Valley where he expressed confidence he would trounce his rivals.

Raila said despite concerted efforts by his rivals to block him from State House, he would hand them a humiliating defeat.

“They are trying to come together to stop us but our unity will see us through,” he declared.

He reiterated he was not behind the woes of the ‘Ocampo Four’, adding claims he wanted some Kenyans blocked from seeking the presidency by having them tried at the International Criminal Court were mischievous.

Presidential aspirants Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto are facing crimes against humanity charges at the ICC.

“As a matter of fact, Kenyans were killed in Nakuru, Naivasha, Nairobi, Kisumu and many other parts of the country. No matter what, Kenyans must know the truth concerning the killings,” the premier told a rally at Nakuru’s Afraha Stadium on Saturday.

He said the truth saw ODM chairman Henry Kosgey, who had been charged alongside five other Kenyans, being set free after his innocence was established. “Some people peddled lies that I took them to the ICC. They alleged I gave names to the ICC. Was it me who set him free or the truth due to his innocence?”’ posed Raila.

Among those in attendance was Kosgey, who called on Rift Valley residents to shun leaders out to divide them on tribal lines. 

Raila was accompanied by his wife Ida, ministers James Orengo, Anyang Nyong’o, William Ntimama, Fred Gumo, Otieno Kajwang, Musa Sirma and several MPs.

In an apparent reference to the controversial appointment of County Commissioners, Raila said any undertaking by the Government must adhere to the constitution.

“Kenyans lost their lives while some were maimed as they fought for the second liberation. We must respect the Constitution in everything we do,” the premier told the gathering.

Scheme to rig

He added: “Kenyans shed blood for the second liberation which gave birth to the new Constitution. We must guard it jealously”.

MPs, who addressed the well-attended rally, claimed the County Commissioners were part of a wider scheme to rig the elections, with Government Whip Jakoyo Midiwo challenging President Kibaki to public declare how he intends to hand over power.

“President Kibaki must tell Kenyan how he intends to hand over power. Telling us of free and fair elections is not enough. We had a free and fair elections in 2007 but all Kenyans know what happened,” said Midiwo.

Speaker after speaker described Raila as a reformist whom can be entrusted with full implementation of the Constitution. They dismissed Raila’s opponents as State House projects and agents of impunity.

MPs Sirma, Kosgey, Magerer Langat, Joyce Laboso and Beatrice Kones vowed to stick with the premier and ODM, dismissing the URP wave as a passing cloud. 

“We are firmly in ODM and if we have issues, they will be addressed in the party,” said Kones.

The MPs, all drawn from the Rift Valley, assured the premier he still enjoyed massive following in Rift Valley despite smear campaigns by ODM rebels.

Housing Assistant Minister Margaret Wanjiru said the Kalenjins and Kikuyus have had the chance to lead the country and that “even God will punish them if they continued clinging to power as other tribes watched”.

Raila continues with his tour of Rift Valley today as he tours Baringo County with a rally in the afternoon at Eldama Ravine town.