Uproar as State officers 'snub' Raila Odinga

By Victor Nzia and Joseph Muchiri

Friday, September 12th 2014

CORD leader Raila Odinga (right) and Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama (second left) watch as residents of Embu county sign Okoa Kenya referendum forms at Kathageri town, Friday. [PHOTO: JOSEPH MUCHIRI/STANDARD]

CORD team led by Raila Odinga got a rude shock when they went to a District Commissioner’s office to offer motorbikes to chiefs only to be turned away.
Kathiani MP Robert Mbui had invited Raila, who was accompanied by Machakos Senator Johntsone Muthama, his Siaya counterpart James Orengo and CORD’s election commissioner Peter Mutulu to a brief handover of 21 motorbikes to chiefs bought by CDF money.

The function to be conducted outside Kathiani Sub County commissioner’s office was moved to a nearby ground after the administrator Geoffrey Omonding turned down a notification to use the compound.
The commissioner said he had not been notified and proceeded to a meeting with chiefs in his office: ‘’I cannot be ambushed just like that, the MP should have told me in advance about the function and his guests.’’
He denied that he had been instructed by his superiors to snub the function.
Mbui said after he contacted the Machakos County Commissioner Ann Gakuria on phone, “she told me to take the motorbikes to my politicians because her chiefs will not take them.”
But contacted for comment on the matter, Gakuria said she was far away in a crucial meting and was not in a position to talk.

Mbui, who said he bought the bikes at Sh2.5 million with CDF money to boost chiefs’ services to the people wondered how the commissioner could ignore them.

‘’This is taxpayers’ money that bought the bikes and I don’t understand how civil servants, paid by the same tax can ignore this assistance,’’ he said
The motorbikes, which had GK registration numbers were finally given to village managers and elders.
Raila condemned the incident saying provincial administration should not behave like in the old Kanu way.
‘’We have a new Constitution which provides freedom for every leader as long as he is a Kenyan and the DC and the commissioner should not have acted like that,’’ he said.
The CORD leader wondered how the Jubilee administration purporting to be a government of the people can refuse donation to assist its people and claim to be championing for true democracy.
Muthama termed the commissioner’s action as primitive. He also accused the commissioner of persistently fighting certain leaders in the county.
Meanwhile, Raila has rubbished claims that he is drumming support for a referendum to remain politically relevant.
He said he was aware the time for electioneering had passed adding that the Okoa Kenya initiative was not meant to be his vehicle to power.
Instead, the former Prime Minister argued that through a referendum, more money will be channeled to counties thus achieving accelerated rate of development.
“We want Jubilee government to continue serving Kenyans but in the referendum we are out to make a few changes in the Constitution that would culminate in more money for roads, health, education, water and rural electrification to Kenyans at the grassroots,” he said.
He spoke at Kathageri shopping centre in Embu County where he was accompanied by Muthama and Orengo in a drive to promote collection of signatures for the Okoa Kenya referendum.

Other leaders accompanying him included MPs Mohamed Junet (Suna East), Fred Outa (Nyando), Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Executive Director Magerer Langat, Embu County ODM chairman Moses Wamuru and Embu Nyangi Ndiiriri council of elders chairman Andrew Ireri.

Raila said Jubilee government had failed to utilise the Sh6 billion meant for presidential election re-run to create jobs for youth, to end corruption and insecurity.
JOBS FOR ALL
He said he had approached President Uhuru Kenyatta seeking to have sections of the Constitution changed to reverse the situation through dialogue but the latter declined.
“Even as we campaigned for the referendum, we had foresight that some sections would be changed later. Four years later that hasn’t happened. We decided to go the referendum way,” he said.
Raila said the money currently going to counties was little and could only pay salaries for county staff as development takes a backseat.
The ODM leader further said through a referendum, they will ensure the Constitution has equal rights for all Kenyans in recruitment and appointments to senior government positions.
Muthama dismissed claims that a referendum was meant for CORD to ascend to presidency saying that was propaganda adding that it was meant to bridge the gap between the haves and have-nots. “Parliament always makes laws. But it is only citizens who can change the Constitution so that there is more money at grassroots to benefit all Kenyans,” said Orengo.