From the tear gassing to 'we will not dialogue’ to ‘no parallel rally at Uhuru Park,’ Cord have got their piece of cake after all and have a reason to celebrate Madaraka Day.
Receiving a call from State House earned the opposition coalition the opportunity they wanted with the president and, however brief it was, it was enough time to iron issues out concerning the electoral body, IEBC and set the stage for an amicable solution.
Although there was no clear statement confirming every detail President Kenyatta and Cord leaders talked about in the meeting, there wasn’t a statement stating anything what was never discussed. It is, therefore, not harmful to assume that they might have talked about the IEBC.
That aside, having had wrangles with the PBBM and National Security Advisory Committee (NSAC) over the use of Uhuru Park, Cord managed to sail through after the High Court determined that they had followed the right procedure to acquire the venue for their rally on June 1. Cord was let off the hook of NSAC which banned them from using the grounds for their Madaraka Day rally.
On Tuesday, the High Court ruled in favor of Cord to hold their rally at Uhuru Park as long as they keep to law and order. Justice George Odunga ruled that the coalition had followed proper procedures to acquire the venue thus dismissing any parallel meeting on the grounds on the same date.
Cord filed the case to pursue orders to use the Uhuru Park grounds after NSAC put a stop to rallying at the venue for security reasons.
After threatening to arrest the opposition leaders if they held a rally at Uhuru Park on Madaraka Day, Interior CS, Joseph Nkaissery confirmed the readiness of security apparatus to ensure Cord’s rally goes on without any hitches.
“The government will respect the court ruling permitting the Cord to hold a rally at Uhuru Park on Wednesday,” said Nkaissery.
Indeed, Cord and their supporters have a reason to celebrate this Madaraka Day for what they have gone through fighting for the betterment of Kenya.