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IGNORE POLICE SUMMONS, ODM LEADERS TELL RAILA
Daily Nation , Kenya
Nov 13 2006
Key Orange Democratic Movement leaders yesterday asked Lang'ata MP
Raila Odinga to defy police summons to record a statement over claims
that his life was in danger.
The leaders, among them 26 MPs, demanded that the Government first
assures all Kenyans of their security before pursuing individuals it
perceives to be its opponents.
Mr Odinga
Among those who spoke at an ODM rally at Kapkatet in Bureti District
were Mr Odinga himself, Kanu chairman Uhuru Kenyatta, secretary-general
William Ruto, Mwingi North MP Kalonzo Musyoka and former vice-president
Musalia Mudavadi.
The ODM leaders spoke as Mr Odinga was challenged by Cabinet ministers
Musikari Kombo and Njenga Karume over his assassination plot claims.
Politicising security
Speaking to reporters after meeting Ford Kenya officials in Nakuru,
Mr Kombo, the minister for Local Government, told Mr Odinga that the
country had gone beyond the era of assassinations.
"If Mr Odinga is aware of any such move he should have handled it
in a better manner ... he should not to be sensational about it,"
the minister said and cautioned politicians against politicising
security matters.
Mr Musyoka
He said Ford Kenya was also concerned about insecurity in parts of the
country and called on the relevant ministries to address the matter.
Defence minister Karume told Mr Odinga to substantiate his claims
that some top Government officials were plotting to kill him. Mr
Karume said a group of MPs from Nyanza who first made the "wild
allegations" should also substantiate their claims or face action
for making alarming statements.
The Government would not sit and watch as leaders made utterances
that could plunge the country into chaos, he said.
"If these MPs know who is plotting to kill Mr Odinga they should
furnish the Government with names. We are fed up with cat and mouse
games. These are serious allegations and must be substantiated,"
Mr Karume said.
But Mr Odinga said it did not make sense to ask him to record a
statement over information he had about the alleged assassination
plot while the Government was yet to act on information he gave on
the alleged mercenaries, the Artur brothers.
Mr Kenyatta.
He said: "A commission of inquiry instituted on the Armenians after
I raised the alarm has not yielded anything and the police now want
me to record a statement", to which the crowd roared back that he
should not record one.
Earlier before the rally, Mr Odinga told the Nation in an interview
that he would record a statement today at Kilimani Police Station.
He said: "The provincial criminal investigations officer called me
in the morning and we have agreed that I record a statement tomorrow
at 10 am."
Mr Odinga said police had on Saturday been sent to his rural home in
Bondo to look for him.
"I received a call this morning (yesterday) that police were looking
for me in my Bondo home while I was in Kisumu," he said.
The ODM leaders argued that it was the responsibility of the Head
of State to marshal the necessary security forces to counter growing
insecurity.
Mr Musyoka, who spoke before Mr Odinga, said: "I am telling my
brother Raila that before he writes any statement, let the police
arrest those who shot at the car which Mrs Nyong'o was travelling in."
A car in which the wife of Kisumu Rural MP Anyang' Nyong'o was
travelling, was shot at in Nairobi last week.
Mr Musyoka added: "The police should also explain the purpose of 10
of them who came to my house claiming there was a robbery recently."
He told Mr Odinga to remain steadfast and resist any attempts by
the police to force him to record a statement saying "kaa ngumu
(stand firm)".
Mr Odinga on Saturday issued a statement saying there were plans
to assassinate him, backing an earlier statement by a group of MPs
that a move had been hatched to eliminate politicians opposed to
the Government.
He said a meeting was held in the Kilimani area by eight senior
government officials and a person who "resembled" one of the deported
Armenian brothers.
Speakers at the rally said it was hypocritical for the Government
to tell Mr Odinga to record a statement while it had never concluded
investigations into the Armenians.
Mr Kenyatta asked President Kibaki to move fast and restore security
in the country.
"We are not fighting the President but we are assisting him to offer
Kenyans the peace and security that they deserve and what they actually
voted him to do," Mr Kenyatta said.
The Gatundu South MP said ODM's sole purpose was to unite Kenyans to
bring new leadership and it was the work of the Opposition to check
the Government."We (Kanu) were hounded out of office because we were
told that we were corrupt, but corruption has never reached the point
it is now in the country since independence," he said.
Mr Kenyatta decried tribalism and urged the youth to unite beyond
tribal lines.
Mr Ruto said that ODM meant to bring better leadership for Kenyans
and it was not in any way meant to fight the Government of President
Kibaki.
Daily Nation , Kenya
Nov 13 2006
Key Orange Democratic Movement leaders yesterday asked Lang'ata MP
Raila Odinga to defy police summons to record a statement over claims
that his life was in danger.
The leaders, among them 26 MPs, demanded that the Government first
assures all Kenyans of their security before pursuing individuals it
perceives to be its opponents.
Mr Odinga
Among those who spoke at an ODM rally at Kapkatet in Bureti District
were Mr Odinga himself, Kanu chairman Uhuru Kenyatta, secretary-general
William Ruto, Mwingi North MP Kalonzo Musyoka and former vice-president
Musalia Mudavadi.
The ODM leaders spoke as Mr Odinga was challenged by Cabinet ministers
Musikari Kombo and Njenga Karume over his assassination plot claims.
Politicising security
Speaking to reporters after meeting Ford Kenya officials in Nakuru,
Mr Kombo, the minister for Local Government, told Mr Odinga that the
country had gone beyond the era of assassinations.
"If Mr Odinga is aware of any such move he should have handled it
in a better manner ... he should not to be sensational about it,"
the minister said and cautioned politicians against politicising
security matters.
Mr Musyoka
He said Ford Kenya was also concerned about insecurity in parts of the
country and called on the relevant ministries to address the matter.
Defence minister Karume told Mr Odinga to substantiate his claims
that some top Government officials were plotting to kill him. Mr
Karume said a group of MPs from Nyanza who first made the "wild
allegations" should also substantiate their claims or face action
for making alarming statements.
The Government would not sit and watch as leaders made utterances
that could plunge the country into chaos, he said.
"If these MPs know who is plotting to kill Mr Odinga they should
furnish the Government with names. We are fed up with cat and mouse
games. These are serious allegations and must be substantiated,"
Mr Karume said.
But Mr Odinga said it did not make sense to ask him to record a
statement over information he had about the alleged assassination
plot while the Government was yet to act on information he gave on
the alleged mercenaries, the Artur brothers.
Mr Kenyatta.
He said: "A commission of inquiry instituted on the Armenians after
I raised the alarm has not yielded anything and the police now want
me to record a statement", to which the crowd roared back that he
should not record one.
Earlier before the rally, Mr Odinga told the Nation in an interview
that he would record a statement today at Kilimani Police Station.
He said: "The provincial criminal investigations officer called me
in the morning and we have agreed that I record a statement tomorrow
at 10 am."
Mr Odinga said police had on Saturday been sent to his rural home in
Bondo to look for him.
"I received a call this morning (yesterday) that police were looking
for me in my Bondo home while I was in Kisumu," he said.
The ODM leaders argued that it was the responsibility of the Head
of State to marshal the necessary security forces to counter growing
insecurity.
Mr Musyoka, who spoke before Mr Odinga, said: "I am telling my
brother Raila that before he writes any statement, let the police
arrest those who shot at the car which Mrs Nyong'o was travelling in."
A car in which the wife of Kisumu Rural MP Anyang' Nyong'o was
travelling, was shot at in Nairobi last week.
Mr Musyoka added: "The police should also explain the purpose of 10
of them who came to my house claiming there was a robbery recently."
He told Mr Odinga to remain steadfast and resist any attempts by
the police to force him to record a statement saying "kaa ngumu
(stand firm)".
Mr Odinga on Saturday issued a statement saying there were plans
to assassinate him, backing an earlier statement by a group of MPs
that a move had been hatched to eliminate politicians opposed to
the Government.
He said a meeting was held in the Kilimani area by eight senior
government officials and a person who "resembled" one of the deported
Armenian brothers.
Speakers at the rally said it was hypocritical for the Government
to tell Mr Odinga to record a statement while it had never concluded
investigations into the Armenians.
Mr Kenyatta asked President Kibaki to move fast and restore security
in the country.
"We are not fighting the President but we are assisting him to offer
Kenyans the peace and security that they deserve and what they actually
voted him to do," Mr Kenyatta said.
The Gatundu South MP said ODM's sole purpose was to unite Kenyans to
bring new leadership and it was the work of the Opposition to check
the Government."We (Kanu) were hounded out of office because we were
told that we were corrupt, but corruption has never reached the point
it is now in the country since independence," he said.
Mr Kenyatta decried tribalism and urged the youth to unite beyond
tribal lines.
Mr Ruto said that ODM meant to bring better leadership for Kenyans
and it was not in any way meant to fight the Government of President
Kibaki.