Cord leader Raila Odinga addressing the public in Budalan'gi on September 6, 2014. PHOTO | JACOB OWITI
By JONATHAN MANYINDO
Cord leader Raila Odinga has told President Uhuru Kenyatta to desist from threatening Jubilee governors with possible expulsion from the coalition for supporting the call for a referendum.
Mr Odinga said Jubilee governors' clamouring for a referendum are exercising their constitutional right, adding that the President does not have powers over people’s sovereignty.
He made the remarks while addressing Cord delegates in Wundanyi, Taita-Taveta County on Thursday.
Mr Odinga said the Cord alliance would not have pushed for a referendum had President Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, heeded their call for a national dialogue.
'GOVERNMENT PANICKING'
“We were driven by the high level of insecurity and inflation rate to request the President to allow us chart the way forward on how to address these issues that are affecting mwananchi directly," Mr Odinga said.
He added: “We gave Jubilee government one year to implement their election pledges and we kept quiet to allow them (to) carry on with the task only to find that they were not willing to do so until the people started telling us to intervene.”
Mr Odinga explained that when the opposition sat back to allow the government to exercise its mandate, the Jubilee coalition perceived that the opposition was dead and started calling them names.
The former prime minister said the government is panicking after realising that the referendum campaign has taken momentum.
“Do not intimidate governors. They are simply exercising the sovereignty powers given to them by the citizens of this country as stated in the first chapter of the Constitution," he said.
PARTY REBELS FAULTED
Minority chief whip in the National Assembly, Thomas Mwadeghu, called on the coalition's rebels to support the push for a referendum.
“The party rules and guidelines must be followed to the letter, otherwise you cannot be purporting to be one of us when you are attacking us from within,” he said.
Mr Odinga arrived in a helicopter at Dawson Mwanyumba Stadium in Wundanyi and addressed the coalition's delegates at the governor’s offices before addressing a public rally and launching the campaign for one million signature in the town.
He later proceeded to Mwatate for the same exercise, before leaving for Kwale County.
He was accompanied by Mombasa Women Representative Mishi Juma Mboko and was received by MPs Andrew Mwadime (Mwatate), Jones Mlolwa (Voi) and Taita-Taveta Women Representative Joyce Lay.
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