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The final sprint
THE STANDArd, Nairobi
Sunday November 13, 2005
Standard Team
With less than 168 hours to go
before the November 21 referendum, both the Banana and Orange
teams yesterday entered the final sprint with over 15 rallies
across the country.
The two teams intensified their
campaigns as pockets of violence were witnessed.
Chaos at the Busia Bus Park
threatened to spill over to Vice President Moody Awori’s rally
as police tear-gassed rowdy youths.
Later, a vehicle he often uses was
pelted with stones. The driver, who was not in Awori’s motorcade
as he left the border town, reported the incident to the police.
Awori’s meeting progressed as
Orange leaders led by Roads minister Raila Odinga and Kanu
chairman, Uhuru Kenyatta, campaigned in Kericho, Kuria and finally
Nandi District.
With anxiety rising to fever pitch,
both camps vowed they were headed for a win as Raila declared the
Orange leaders would be in court tomorrow to listen to a ruling on
a case which seeks to stop the referendum.
In Nairobi there was stone throwing
and more teargas when the Government Chief Whip, Norman Nyaga,
took three assistant ministers to a Yes rally at Raila’s Langata
constituency. Police repulsed youths who threw stones at the dais
where the chief campaigners were seated. They were: Beth Mugo (Dagoretti),
Betty Tett (Nominated) Maina Kamanda (Starehe) and Koigi Wamwere (Subukia).
Present at the Busia rally were
Cabinet Ministers George Saitoti (Education), Mukhisa Kituyi
(Trade), Joseph Munyao, Musikari Kombo (Local Government), Martha
Karua (Water) and Njenga Karume (Special Projects).
"The Orange campaign has been
re-energised like the River Nile and will sweep anything that
stands on its way to the Mediterranean Sea,’’ Raila said at
the Kericho Green Stadium.
"Courts are not above the law.
They are answerable to Kenyans. They must not be used by anybody
to create room for shelving the vote on the proposed
Constitution," Raila added.
A contingent of about 60 regular
policemen and prison warders lobbed teargas and fired in the air
to contain pro-Orange supporters as Awori asked non-Luhya
communities living in the province not to undermine the goodwill
of the local community.
"Western Kenya hosts all
communities from Kenya, but this should not be abused or taken for
granted,’’ he warned.
The first Air Force plane carrying
Awori, Kombo and
Wetangula landed at midday while
Saitoti, Karume, Karua and Munyao arrived an hour later in a
private plane. The third aircraft, an Air Force helicopter dropped
Kituyi and two Western MPs. Booing and heckling started when the
last team arrived.
Another Banana rally attended by 14
MPs led by Cabinet Ministers Kiraitu Murungi and Chris Murungaru
was held in Othaya, President Kibaki’s constituency.
Kiraitu appealed to voters from the
Central Kenya region not to let go a government that "we have
painfully sought for many years".
He reiterated that the Government
was under siege by power-hungry politicians, adding that the
campaign for the proposed constitution was only a test of how
strong the government was. "We are no longer writing
constitution, this war is aimed at overthrowing President
Kibaki’s Government and if there are people who can salvage it,
then it will be people from this region," Kiraitu said.
"I am beseeching you not to
let this government go to people who are only power hungry,’’
he said.
Murungaru claimed after failing to
get a chance to attain power through creation of a powerful
premiership, Raila, had vowed to destabilise the Government.
Awori said democracy should be
allowed to prevail to ensure that there was no intimidation and
harassment in their rallies.
Karume urged the Orange team to
respect the Head of State, saying it was disgusting that despite
being warned by the police not to hold a rally as it would
coincide with that of the President’s, their "strong-headedness
and lack of respect had forced them to go on.
"Let Kenyans go about their
own business. The police are under firm instructions to maintain
law and order. We will not be cowed by a few individuals who want
to threaten the peace in the country."
Kombo said that matters related to
the next general election should be delinked from the referendum
campaigns to curb confusion in the review exercise.
Kituyi said he was laying
strategies to woo former Vice President Musalia Mudavadi to join
the Yes team.
In Kericho, three Cabinet ministers
an equal number of assistants pitched camp at Londiani, a
stone-throw away from the Orange rally, to campaign for a Yes vote
in the referendum.
The ministers were John Koech (East
African Co-operation), Karua (Water) and Amos Kimunya (Lands). The
assistant ministers were Kipkalya Kones, Alicen Chelaite and
Mirugi Kariuki.
Kimunya dismissed as "mischievous"
claims by some Orange leaders that there was a move by the
Government to repossess land held by members of the Kalenjin
community.
"This is incitement of the
highest order. As the Lands minister, I assure the Kalenjin
community that this would not happen during the leadership of Narc
government and I don’t believe it would ever happen even if
another regime comes to power.’’
He assured the Ogiek community from
Sorget in Londiani and their ‘cousins’ in Nandi and other
parts of the country that their squatter cases would be looked
into after some pending forest cases in the jurisdiction of the
Ministry of Environment were dealt with.
Speaking in Kericho, Uhuru claimed
that those in government supporting the Wako Draft had pressurised
Kanu to deliver a new people-driven constitution, but were now
propelled by a thirst for personal gain.
"All Orange supporters must
wake up at dawn and cast their vote against the Wako Draft on
November 21 because it adulterated the views they gave at Bomas.’’
Uhuru said those in the ruling
coalition had sidelined
key partners from the Liberal
Democratic Party (LDP) and
instead co-opted Kanu MPs into
Government to rubberstamp their agenda.
Raila challenged Internal Security
minister, John Michuki, and Police Commissioner, Major General Ali
Hussein, to resign over the manner they handled the violent
rallies in which eight people had been shot dead by police.
"I repeat, I am ashamed to
serve in a Government that kills its own people. I regret the
character of the our regime is wanting,’’ Raila added.
Last evening, Michuki said the
Orange rally in Mombasa could not have been allowed to go on as
the President was in town.
Baringo Central MP Gideon Moi said;
"In order to put to shame the proponents of the draft, you
should all turn out in large numbers, vote against it and stay put
waiting for the counting process."
In Kuria, Raila and Uhuru said they
had their eyes on the prize and nothing would deter them. They
asked area residents not to be hoodwinked to vote ‘Yes’ and
pave way for the "re-introduction of autocratic system of
governance.’’
They vowed to continue with their
campaigns countrywide despite plans by the Government to gag them.
The team, which arrived in Kuria in
a helicopter, was given a warm welcome by an enthusiastic crowd
chanting No slogans as they sung the popular tune of "Bado
Mapambano".
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