Nakuru and Uasin Gishu counties threaten to ban CORD rallies Saturday, June 14th 2014 The Jubilee Government and the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) may be headed for a clash after some Rift Valley Governors said they will not allow Opposition rallies scheduled for the region. Although CORD enjoys constitutional backing to gather and address its supporters on the push for a national dialogue in the region, they say the meetings are unnecessary and might spark ethnic animosity. Nakuru Governor Kinuthia Mbugua and his Uasin Gishu counterpart Jackson Mandago have expressed strong opposition to the rallies being held in their counties. Mandago has since rescinded his position to ban the rallies after Opposition leaders in Uasin Gishu termed his decision naïve and demanded that he adheres to his constitutional obligations. “We will not bar the planned rally if those behind it have no ill intentions for the region. They are free to hold rallies here and anywhere in the country so long as they are in line with the law,” said Manadago. But 11 MPs from Nakuru County, including ODM’s Samuel Arama (Nakuru West), say the rallies may cause tension in the region that witnessed some of the worst cases of violence following the disputed 2007 general election. See Also: Echoes from the past: Ban on CORD rallies conjures Kanu memories Arama, who has broken ranks with CORD leader Raila Odinga over the calls for mass action, said: “No one has contacted me about the rally despite the fact that I’m the only elected opposition MP in the county. The rally seems to be an affair of people from one community who are busy running around organising to receive the CORD leaders.” CORD has planned 13 political rallies across the country to pressure the government to dialogue on key national issues, ranging from insecurity to the future of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). The Opposition claims IEBC bungled last year’s polls. The series of rallies will culminate in a major meeting on Saba Saba Day (July 7) at Kamkunji grounds in Nairobi. Three rallies will be held in Nakuru, Narok and Eldoret. Raila has hinted that another rally might be held in Kericho County. But Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri believes the situation in Nakuru is fragile and any reckless utterances from CORD leaders might lead to chaos. This, he warns, may reverse the gains realised in reconciling local communities. “Church leaders, the government and NGOs have invested a lot in peace initiatives and reconciliation efforts since the 2007 post- election violence and CORD leaders must understand that Nakuru is sensitive to the negative ethnicity being preached in their rallies,” said Ngunjiri. But his Molo counterpart Jacob Macharia is of the opinion that the Opposition be allowed to hold the rallies.
Posted on: Sun, 15 Jun 2014 04:58:35 +0000
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