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Raila on Ruto ‘three options’ command: Stop threatening Kenyans
Opposition leader Raila Odinga on Saturday September 2 castigated President William Ruto over his 'go to heaven' threat, saying it was a serious affront to the right to life.
He argued that the President has no power to ask any Kenyan to leave the country, even if they are facing charges in court.
Mr Odinga was reacting to Dr Ruto's three 'options' - leave the country, go to jail or go to heaven - which he said were aimed at the corrupt and unscrupulous businessmen who exploit public resources, but which the opposition leader said were in bad taste.
"Ruto's leadership is the worst Kenya has ever seen. Many youths lost their lives during the recent protests under his watch and yet he is threatening to send more people to heaven. Does he think he is God to control the lives of Kenyans?" Mr Odinga asked.
"This is a very reckless talk coming from the President. We need to talk together for the economic growth of the country and the promotion of peaceful co-existence," he added.
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He urged President Ruto to engage all leaders in the discussion to end the woes in the sugar sub-sector, warning him against threatening to "kill investors".
He noted: "He needs to engage stakeholders without intimidation. How can you threaten to kill people who have invested heavily in the country and employed thousands of Kenyans? Something is wrong in Kenya and that is why we are demanding to take over the leadership of the country to provide the right leadership".
He was speaking at the burial of Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) chairman Rajabu Mwondi in Hamisi constituency, Vihiga County and later at the burial of former independence MP James Osogo in Budalang'i, Busia County.
The opposition leader met with Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Mr Atwoli at the burial of Mr Mwondi at Kapchemugung Secondary School grounds in Hamisi constituency before flying to Budalang'i.
In Vihiga, Mr Odinga lashed out at the leadership of the country's labour unions, accusing them of going to bed with the government and leaving workers to suffer the high cost of living amidst salary cuts and higher taxes.
Mr Odinga took particular aim at the Cotu leadership, accusing Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli of abandoning Kenyan workers while dining with President Ruto.
He said as a result, the opposition was forced to take over Cotu's role of fighting for workers' rights after its leaders abandoned them and went to bed with the government.
"Things are not right. People are so hungry for the money that Ruto is handing out that they don't care about their mandate. When Atwoli is in government, he calls other people washenzi sana when in fact yeye ndiyo mshenzi sana," he said.
"ODM as a party has its offices where I, my deputy party chairman Wycliffe Oparanya and many other leaders are based. We are not taking to the streets because we do not have an office as Mr Atwoli claimed but because we want things to be done right in Kenya," he added.
He insisted on the need to open the servers for the 2022 elections, saying the division within the IEBC commissioners was a clear indication that the presidential results were rigged.
In their response, Mr Atwoli and Mr Mudavadi dismissed Mr Odinga's comments, saying the opposition was living in denial and should accept that the elections were over and that Dr Ruto was president.
“IEBC declared William Ruto as the winner of the August 9, 2022 presidential elections. Those who did not agree contested in court and the Supreme Court confirmed and declared that Dr Ruto won the elections,” said Mr Mudavadi.
The Cabinet Secretary defended Mr Atwoli, saying that the Cotu leader was very pragmatic, steadfast and conscientious about the challenges facing workers.
"For the first time, a trade union movement has organised for the President to address a global trade union forum during the 11th International Labour Conference at the Kenyan Chancery in Geneva. This could not have been achieved if trade union officials were working with the opposition," said Mr Mudavadi.
He defended President Ruto's stance on corruption, saying graft was the biggest challenge to the country's economic growth.
"Let anyone involved in mismanagement of public resources face the law. Why should Oparanya complain when billions from Kakamega County cannot be accounted for because he has siphoned it into his private accounts? We need to change our attitude and respect the rule of law to save our economy," he observed.
Mr Atwoli, for his part, accused Mr Odinga of reneging on a pre-election agreement with Cotu to reward workers.
"Azimio failed to give us the many nomination slots we agreed to give to Cotu members and instead gave them to relatives of Azimio leaders. Is this the kind of good leadership they claim to have?" Mr Atwoli said.
Overall, Mr Atwoli said, the opposition lacked understanding of the work of trade unions.
"We are not politicians, we are defenders of workers' rights. We have to do that by working with the government of the day. If I stayed in Azimio after the elections, how would I work with the Cabinet Secretary for Labour to address the challenges facing workers in Kenya?" asked Mr Atwoli.
He said Cotu had entered into an agreement with Azimio ahead of the 2022 general elections but after the elections, in which Azimio lost to Kenya Kwanza, the opposition reneged on the agreement.
He urged Azimio leaders to prepare for another defeat by President Ruto in 2027.
"I'm looking for an office for them because the reality is that Eugene Wamalwa, Oparanya, Martha Karua and Jeremiah Kioni are on the streets because they don't have offices. Even Mr Odinga does not have an office that deserves government funding," he said.
He promised to launch a campaign to recall elected leaders he supported during the campaigns but who have turned against him.
"I supported all the politicians in the Western Region during the campaigns. Anyone who won and turned against me will not end well. I will recall him or her," said Mr Atwoli.
Former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya and Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi urged governors to stop mixing county functions with those of the national government, saying the Constitution has given a clear definition between national and devolved functions.
"You don't need to throng State House to beg for development projects because you have your own governments," Oparanya said.
His sentiments were echoed by Mr Osotsi, who said the projects launched by President Ruto belonged to the county governments.
"The President launched some of them for the third time. First he came with former President Uhuru Kenyatta to launch them, then he launched the same projects when he came back as Deputy President and now he has launched them while he is President. We need to see new projects from the national government," said Mr Osotsi.
He said he had tabled a motion in the Senate to stop the national government from interfering in devolved functions except through conditional grants.
