Ex-Premier, coast leaders accuse Jubilee of pushing for unconstitutional laws to consolidate power

CORD leader Raila Odinga has accused the Jubilee administration of sliding the country towards collapse and total paralysis in all sectors.

Speaking in Diani yesterday, he claimed that President Uhuru Kenyatta and a clique within Jubilee are “trying to recreate a one party state and an imperial presidency” through an unconstitutional consolidation of power.

Raila accused the Jubilee administration of mismanaging the economy and bringing the education sector to its knees by ignoring teachers plight.

At the same time the CORD leader claimed that Jubilee wants to use the controversial Community Land Bill 2015 to reintroduce control of land by a clique in the national government.

“We are asking all Kenyans to resist this law and all attempts to reestablish control of land from Nairobi,” said Raila.

The former Premier defended embattled Nairobi ODM chairman George Aladwa over incitement claims and warned against attempts to rig the next General Election. Mr Aladwa was arrested over alleged incitement remarks he made in Kibera.

But yesterday Raila was unapologetic over the former Nairobi mayor’s remarks arguing that he cannot be accused of committing a crime.

“Aladwa was right. He was only warning against theft. He was only saying that if you steal there will be repercussions and that is not a crime,” the former premier said.

The CORD leader also declared that the Jubilee government is unfit to govern over corruption scandals.

Raila was accompanied by four governors from Coast region Salim Mvurya (Kwale), Hassan Ali Joho (Mombasa), Amason Kingi (Kilifi) and John Mruttu (Taita Taveta) and ODM Secretary General Ababu Namwamba. He presided over the launch of the economic blueprint for the Jumuia ya Kauntu za Pwani economic integration bloc and later laid a foundation stone at a project in Msambweni and addressed two political rallies. Mr Namwamba said CORD will not allow Jubilee to manipulate the next polls and will ensure Raila becomes president.

Addressing delegates at the JKP symposium at Indian Ocean Beach resort in Kwale yesterday, Raila claimed that the Kenyatta government had mismanaged every sector of the economy and had now turned on the land and education sectors.

Poor education marks

“There is no project that Jubilee has touched which is thriving. The Jubilee government has failed the education sector which is has mismanaged and now we hear the examination has been leaked,” Raila said adding that the national government not sustained a 100 per cent transition rate from primary to secondary school.

Raila also lashed at the government for introducing what he termed as a ‘faulty’ land bill to protect a ‘few people who have grabbed land.’

“They are trying to amend the Constitution through subsidiary legislation which is unconstitutional. The Community Land Bill before Parliament is unconstitutional and that is why I said all MPs from Coast must rise up and be first to be counted,” he said.

 

The former PM said the opposition will use legitimate means to defend public interest and accused Jubilee of trying to reverse reforms made in the land sector since 2010.

“There is good reason why they are trying to introduce this because all over the country they have issues with land. They (government) want to have powers so that they can control it from Nairobi. We now have a Cabinet Secretary who used to be in the docket, registrar general of lands who was the former Commissioner of Lands and others who are working for the president,” he added.

Raila claimed that top officials in Jubilee own most of the land in Coast and were trying to consolidate power to defend their interests. Mr Mruttu said Coast residents opposed proposed changes in the land sector.

And Raila further said development was a right of everyone because they pay taxes and nobody should take any project as a favor.

“People pay taxes and it doesn’t come from someone’s pockets and that is why we started Okoa Kenya so as to move 15 per cent of the budget to 45 per cent to counties,” he further stated.

Cash crunch

He assured that Okoa Kenya campaigns will be revived next month.

“There are some people who say that they are not hearing Okoa Kenya anymore but we are saying that it is alive and kicking. And next month they will be seeing action,” he said.

Governor Mvurya who is the chairman for the JKP asked the national government to review spending on national projects to boost economic growth.

“We have seen that 40,000 civil servants might miss jobs and as the former Prime minister said there is a crisis and that crisis is real,” said Mvurya on the cash crunch that has bedeviled the national government.

He called for a blue print to guide land matters.

“It is time for the MPs from this region to support legislation that will open up this region,” he said.

He added that huge tracts of land have been grabbed in Coast region and vowed that local leaders will go to court to block the Land Bill if it passes.

Mr Joho and Mr Kingi on their party lamented that most MPs from Coast have only been looking at JKP with political interests.

Joho accused some Coast legislators of fighting the JKP and refusing to unite to develop the Coast.

“The train has left and those who are not with us be warned. As Coast counties we want to convert Coast General hospital into a JKP hospital,” said Joho.

Later the leaders went to Ukunda town where they held a rally.