Opposition leader Raila Odinga. [Photo/citizentv.co.ke]
National Super Alliance (Nasa) flag bearer Raila Odinga has dismissed claims made by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto that he is provoking Kenyans to violence.
Speaking in a Jubilee rally in Bomet, Friday, the two Jubilee leaders said that Raila was treading the same path that ignited the 2000/08 post-election violence.
“Friday, he was talking about ‘wenye inchi and wenye wanafaa kurudi kwao’ (those who own the land and those who should return to where they came from) and that is the same language he used to create conflict the last time,” Uhuru is quoted by Standard.
But responding to the allegations, the opposition leader expressed disappointment with the President’s saying his adoption of politics of rumors and scaremongering for survival in the face of stiff challenges arising from the disappointment of the people of Kenya with the Jubilee administration.
“In the latest incident, the president has out of the blues accused Mr. Odinga of asking communities to return to their ancestral lands. Mr. Odinga has made no such utterances. The diversity of Mr. Odinga’s support base alone militate against him making such utterances. The President’s remarks are therefore far-fetched and smacks of desperation,” said Raila, Friday, in a statement sent from his spokesman, Dennis Onyango.
“Under pressure, President Kenyatta is creating imaginary scenarios and enemies and proceeding to respond to them. Mr. Odinga finds such gasps of outrage rather hollow and unfortunate particularly coming from the president whose office is supposed to embody unity and certainty in the nation,” he added.
He has asked the president to desist from scary-sounding pronouncements.