RAILA ODINGA SENDS HARSH WARNING TO UHURU

ODM leader Raila Odinga on Wednesday, May 19, asked the Jubilee party not to take the peaceful co-existence that was achieved by the 2018 handshake, for granted.

Odinga was expressing his disappointment following the by-elections that took place in Bonchari on Tuesday, May 18.

In a statement, he expressed fears that some members of the Jubilee party were using the handshake as an excuse to erode hard-earned liberties. 

“What we have witnessed in the by-elections in Bonchari and Juja is an abuse of police powers and an arrogant display of impunity by a few overzealous and bellicose government functionaries,” reads an excerpt of the statement.

Odinga reminded other parties that an election process was an opportunity for voters to express their will at the ballot and not an avenue to pursue imaginary and short-legged political interests. 

“Security forces exist to serve the people and not the interests of those out to conduct political experiments,” he stated.

On Tuesday evening, ODM secretary Edwin Sifuna stated that it was time to relook into their relationship with Jubilee to establish whether it is genuine or not.

Sifuna indicated that he had been forced to engage in running battles with the police to avoid arrest.

He accused police officers, chiefs and their assistants in leading in voter bribery in the area. 

“We want an equal playground for all contestants. We will not accept to be in partnership with parties such as Jubilee yet they are the ones using state resources to undermine us,” he stated.

ODM has since clinched the Bonchari seat after the former Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) Director-General Pavel Oimeke garnered 9,049 votes.

Jubilee’s  Zebedeo Opore was second with 7,279 votes while UDA’s Teresa Bitutu came third with 6,964. Bititu is the widow of the late area MP Oroo Oyioka. 

Sourced from Kenyans.co.ke