Kenya's veteran opposition leader, Raila Odinga, has called for national dialogue and a timetable for the withdrawal of Kenyan troops from Somalia, hours after a fresh attack on the coast killed five people.
Kenyan Red Cross workers carry a body of a victim killed in an attack outside the village of Witu
Raila Odinga, who was President Uhuru Kenyatta's challenger in last year's election, has called for nationwide rallies next month over what he said were public worries that include security failings, corruption and rising living costs.
He set a July 7 deadline for the start of a national dialogue, but he did not spell out the consequences if his demand was not met.
Odinga's comments in an interview with Reuters have set him on a collision course with the government, which has dismissed the deadline as a bid by the 69-year-old former prime minister to create a crisis that will haul him back to the center of politics in the east African nation.
Somalia's al-Shabab rebels claimed responsiblity for the Mpeketoni killings but this has been contested
The Kenyan presidency insists there is no basis for national talks as there is no breakdown in institutions or constitutional order.
"He (Odinga) is trying to become relevant by manufacturing a crisis," said Munyori Buku , senior communications director at the presidency.
Allegations of hate speech and incitement
Kenyans have mixed views on the opposition's plans for rallies. Nairobi University student Hamisi Khalfan told Deutsche Welle he believes they are intended to pave the way for early campaigns for the next general election. "They are preparing (the) ground to overthrow the government," he said.
Chris Munga Munga, who works in the security business, said all rallies called by the opposition so far had been peaceful. "I have never seen anybody inciting anybody to fight anybody," he said.
He was referring to allegations that nine opposition politicians had been using rallies for the purposes of incitement and to make hate speeches. Raila Odinga's opposition CORD party closed ranks behind them on Tuesday with one party official, Moses Wetangula, saying it was a clear attempt by the government "to silence, intimidate and harass persons particularly in the political arena."
0 comments:
Post a Comment