Raila Odinga, Mudavadi Mudavadi warn against rigging

Retired Kakamega Catholic bishop Philip Sulumeti with Opposition leaders Musalia Mudavadi and Raila Odinga during the burial of the cleric’s mother on Monday. [PHOTO : DANCAN OCHOLLA/STANDARD ]

 

Opposition leaders Raila Odinga of CORD and Musalia Mudavadi of Amani National Congress have warned against rigging next year's elections.

They also claimed Jubilee is using 'stolen' money to hire goons to intimidate them. 

"We are asking the church to pray for peace in this country during the electioneering period," said Raila in Kakamega County yesterday, during the burial Agnes Iprong'e, mother of retired Catholic Bishop Philip Sulumeti.

"If Jubilee or CORD wins or loses the elections, we should accept the results for the sake of peace. However, let nobody rig the elections because there will be no peace," Raila said.

Mudavadi expressed confidence that the Opposition will unite under the National Super Alliance (Nasa) to send Jubilee home in the 2017 General Election.

"Nasa is the solution, it will get Jubilee out of power. Jubilee is paying goons to undermine me but they will not manage it. Western will not vote for Jubilee," said Mudavadi.

He added: "Jubilee leaders have run out of ideas. They pretend to address issues during the day and play dirty in the night."

"Jubilee is going to pour a lot of money into their campaigns. I plead with Kenyans not to mortgage their future for 40 pieces of silver."

Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya said: "We are asking the church to pray for unity in this country and also for the Opposition to remove Jubilee from power."

However, a section of Jubilee leaders in western, including Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka, Navakholo MP Emmanuel Wangwe and former ODM youth leader Rashid Mohammed accused Mudavadi of spreading propaganda against Jubilee.

They said Mudavadi did not initiate any projects in the region during his tenure in government, even when he was deputy prime minister.

"Mudavadi should be realistic. He cannot claim reopening of Webuye Pan Paper company by the President is a fake project. It is wrong for a politician of his calibre to tell lies about the Government," Lusaka said.

"He should tell residents of Bungoma what he did for them during his 20 years in government. Mudavadi is fighting development being initiated by the Government in the region for his own selfish gains," said Wangwe.

He added: "Mudavadi is dismissing the projects because they were not launched in Vihiga. He should know that western is not about Vihiga only. During his tenure, he took all projects to Vihiga and forgot the other regions."

However, Mudavadi said: "It is their ignorance if they do not see any projects I initiated in the region. But is that the reason they are colluding with their masters to lie to the people about projects that do not exist?"