Controversial CORD rally set for Eldoret today

By TITUS TOO And JOAN LETTING

Friday, June 27th 2014

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is today expected to lead the CORD team to a rally in Eldoret, which police have banned over security concerns.

During a lengthy meeting yesterday, the county government leadership unsuccessfully tried to convince ODM party officials from the region to postpone the rally.

After failing to convince the officials, Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago said the county government would provide whatever was needed of it during the rally.

The county government argued that the rally would destabilise the fragile peace in the area. "The security team is still concerned about the county's security and still maintains that political meetings should be postponed until the county is fully stable," said the governor.

Earlier on, the CORD brigade had vowed to defy an order not to hold the rally, saying they would still mobilise their supporters for the event at the famous 64 Stadium in the heart of Eldoret town.

There have been contradictory statements from the area's leadership, with elected leaders reiterating that they would not allow political meetings likely to raise political temperatures.

Police at first issued a permit allowing the rally before revoking it on Tuesday, citing security concerns. But it was yesterday agreed that the rally could go ahead after party officials met the area security team.

The Eldoret rally is among the first of CORD events called in the North Rift since Raila returned from a three-month trip to the US. The CORD team is also taking the rally to Jubilee's stronghold, where the electorate voted in leaders allied to Deputy President William Ruto's United Republican Party.