President William Ruto yesterday rubbished Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition leader Raila Odinga ’s plan to organise public meetings and demonstrations in favour of four besieged electoral commissioners.
The plan, President Ruto said, was the wrong way to push for accountability in government, saying there were other ways to keep his Kenya Kwanza alliance government in check.
Mr Odinga – who has called his party’s parliamentary group meeting on the matter today – announced planned rallies in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu and Kakamega to defend Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) members Juliana Cherera, Irene Masit, Justus Nyang’aya and Francis Wanderi, who face a President Ruto-backed ouster.
“We are consolidating our country and I want to tell our brothers in the opposition to work with us, to criticise us, but let’s keep the country peaceful,” Dr Ruto said.
He spoke yesterday in Ruiru, Kiambu County, during the launch of a Twiga Foods Limited distribution centre in Tatu City.
Dr Ruto celebrated the opening of the distribution centre. It measures 200,000 square feet and will allow the company to expand its capacity, reach out to its domestic and regional customers and suppliers, and boost its profit margins.
The President said the growth and expansion of Twiga Foods is a good model that can be replicated in other counties where local entrepreneurs can be given a favourable working environment, saying this has the potential to create more openings for the youth, especially where emerging establishments are funded by the government to spur growth.
The President also promised to give Twiga Foods a Sh300 million loan for onward lending to its suppliers through the yet-to-be-launched Hustler Fund, seed capital targeting emerging entrepreneurs who want to scale up their businesses.
President Ruto comments on Mr Odinga’s plans came as Azimio yesterday called for a parliamentary group (PG) meeting, with the issue of the “Cherera Four” commissioners and the coalition’s way forward said to be one of its main agenda items.
Azimio leader Raila Odinga addressing the media in Kisumu where he announced plans to hold rallies to solicit support for the four besieged IEBC commissioners.
Photo credit: Rushdie Oudia | Nation Media Group
The meeting is expected to be addressed by Mr Odinga, Nark Kenya leader Martha Karua and Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka.
The meeting came just a day after Mr Odinga announced plans to hold a series of rallies in his political bases to solicit support for the four besieged electoral agency commissioners facing ouster.
But at yesterday’s meeting in Nairobi, the ODM leader did not address journalists, leaving the House leaders, led by National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi, Minority Whip Junet Mohamed and Senate Deputy Minority Whip Ledama Ole Kina, among other officials, to issue a statement.
Mr Wandayi cited the matter of the attempted “forceful” removal from office of the four IEBC commissioners, the decision to import genetically modified maize by the government, insecurity across the country and the high cost of living as the main agenda for today’s PG meeting.
“These are matters that we continue to engage on and therefore as a first practical step we have resolved to convene the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party Parliamentary Group meeting tomorrow (today) November 29, 2022,” Mr Wandayi announced.
"Far-reaching resolutions"
The PG meeting, he said, will come up with far-reaching resolutions.
In his notice, Mr Mohamed said crucial decisions would be made at the PG meeting, with the Nation establishing a resolution on the best ways to deal with Dr Ruto’s administration over its “excesses” will be made.
He said the Ruto administration had captured institutions and was inflicting injustice on members of the public, including the four IEBC commissioners.
Yesterday, Mr Wandayi said today’s PG meeting is expected to deliberate on Mr Odinga’s proposal for countrywide rallies to mobilise Kenyans against President Ruto’s administration.
“We shall discuss the rallies at tomorrow’s meeting and give our roadmap,” he said.
“So we want to have a common ground on these issues, including the high cost of living.”
“On major rallies across the country, the MPs will be expected to add their voice on how it should be executed. The PG have a right to reject, postpone, evaluate and suggest a different approach,” he said.
