Compensating PEV victims not enough – Raila Odinga

CORD leader Raila Odinga has called on the government to do more than compensating victims of the post-election violence in order to promote cohesion in the country.

Raila said that there is need for the government to initiate healing and reconciliation processes that will help unite the country before the 2017 election.

In his address during the COTU Day of Prayer at St Stephen ACK along Jogoo Road, the ODM leader noted that the government should adopt the healing system adopted by South Africa and Rwanda that helped the countries overcome past atrocities.

“The country requires reconciliation. Many people were killed in places like Kibra, Naivasha, Eldoret, Kisumu, Kericho and Mombasa,” he said.

“Reconciliation does not mean paying people. We need reconciliation in the country to give people an opportunity to forgive each other for the 2007 violence.”

Raila further called on the government to respect the rights of workers and desist from frustrating them whenever they demand for their rights.

Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi on his part called on the government to recognise efforts that workers put in place in driving the country’s economy.

“The government does not want workers unions to progress and have resorted to formulating parallel unions. This should not be the case.”

Meanwhile, COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli has called on the government to create peaceful environment before 2017 elections saying dialogue and reconciliation should be embraced.

He supported calls by CORD leaders for the disbandment of IEBC, saying this is the only way of reestablishing the country’s confidence in the electoral process.

The COTU secretary general said that he will urge workers to join CORD in their march to IEBC offices on Monday to push for the verification of Okoa Kenya signatures.

@benjaminwafula