CORD asks Jubilee not to belittle calls for dialogue

CORD leaders on Saturday asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to stop taking the pleas for a national dialogue lightly.

Led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the leaders said they would not bow down to intimidation and asserted that the Constitution gave all Kenyans sovereign powers to determine and question how the country was being run. Raila advised the Jubilee administration to welcome the dialogue since the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy, CORD, represents 70 per cent of the Kenyan population.

The former Prime Minister rejected the idea of using government structures for dialogue, arguing that the powers vested on such government bodies originated from Kenyans.

“It is Kenyans who have donated power to institutions like the Judiciary, the Executive and the Legislature for the purpose of representation. This time round,Kenyans will have to exercise their sovereign right of determining how they want their country to be run,” said Mr Odinga.

The CORD leaders were speaking at the funeral of the late Zachary Abonyo Oyombe in Siaya County. Mr Oyombe was once an ODM chairman in Rarieda constituency.

Other speakers in the function supported the former PM’s remarks with the Nominated Senator Elizabeth Ongoro assuring that the dialogue being called for was for the benefit of both Kenyans and the Jubilee administration. Ms Ongoro also said that CORD leaders were not desperate to be called for "a cup of tea or lunch" but were intent on having a serious dialogue about issues currently plaguing Kenyans, including unemployment, insecurity and the high inflation rates.

Suna West MP Junet Mohamed advised the President to dismiss his advisors who were against the proposed national dialogue since they could lead the government into anarchy. The MP accused Deputy President William Ruto of being the inhibiting force against the national dialogue and accused him of misleading Mr Odinga while they were in the Grand Coalition government.

“The President should be warned since the storm coming is very huge and will wipe out the entire government if the dialogue is not in time,” he said.

Mr Mohamed asked the President and his administration to immediately address tribalism as Kenyans were not pleased with the status quo where governance structures had been hijacked by two tribal groupings viewed to be in support of the regime. Awendo MP Mr Jared Kopiyo affirmed that the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy, CORD, was not interested in sharing power with Jubilee.

“The Jubilee fellows are mistaken when the say that we want ‘nusu mkate’. We want a full loaf as this will be able to deliver Kenyans from the current plight they are facing under this government," said Mr Kopiyo.

Nominated MP Oburu Oginga attributed the misfortunes bedevilling the Jubilee administration to a curse and asked that they convene a national dialogue or Kenyans would have to single-handedly determine the fate of the country on their own.

“The government administrators are being punished by God for ascending to power through dubious means. They should dialogue with us or else the Kenyans will take them down,” said Dr Oburu.

Others who addressed the mourners were Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo, Siaya women Representative Christine Ombaka, Bondo MP Gideon Ochanda, Siaya Governor and Senator Cornel Rasanga and James Orengo.

They later proceeded to another funeral in Bungoma County.