I am not afraid of sanctions, says defiant Raila

Opposition leader Raila Odinga on Saturday said he does not fear being sanctioned by foreign governments over his controversial swearing in adding that he does not need to travel abroad.

Before the repeat presidential election on October 26, Western envoys warned politicians from the main two political formations that they risked travel bans if they carried on with their hard-line rhetoric amid rising political tension.

Speaking in Homa Bay County during the Nyanza region People’s Assembly Forum, Mr. Odinga said he does not fear the sanctions as he is in pursuit of electoral justice in the country.

“I have received a flurry of calls and was told that I risk being a rebel, I was also told that I will be banned from travelling abroad. I told them that I do not have to travel outside Kenya. We will ensure that the August 8 results are respected,” he said.

This comes after the opposition coalition released what it branded as the “authentic and unadulterated” results of the August 8 election.

As such, the political heavyweight added that his inauguration scheduled for Tuesday, January 30 is still on course.

“The era of military coups is over. When the incumbency captures the institutions of governance including the Legislature making it subordinate to the Executive, when it intimidates the Judiciary into submission and captures the electoral commission and controls the instruments of power including the military and the police it only means that any election becomes a ritual which the incumbency must win,” said Mr. Odinga.

NASA co-principal Kalonzo Musyoka said that the time for dialogue is over warning that NASA and Jubilee might dialogue when the country is in crisis.

“I said that Uhuru must dialogue with Raila but nobody listened, it is now impossible to hold any discussion between now and Tuesday,” Kalonzo said while comparing the Kenyan situation with that of Sudan and Somalia.

Kalonzo added that even when a section of Kenya’s political class consider secession as an alternative, the ruling party must still engage the opposition to end the current political impasse.

National Assembly minority leader John Mbadi faulted President Uhuru Kenyatta’s decision to create  the Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) position in every ministry terming it illegal.

“We cannot tolerate the president’s impunity for four more years. He has created the position of Assistant Minister which is a contravention of the law,” said Mbadi.