I don’t know why Raila failed to attend my launch – Wetangula

Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula has said that his CORD co-principal Raila Odinga had undertaken to attend his 2017 presidential bid launch on Saturday, and that it is still unknown why he skipped the event.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, Wetangula said Raila had been invited to the launch, and had responded positively to the invitation.

“The rally was attended by CORD leaders, Raila had informed us that he would attend but he didn’t come, we don’t want to speculate why,” he said, adding “I do not want to be a prophet of doom. Come what may we as CORD must work together to bring change to this country.”

The Ford Kenya party leader is also calling for thorough investigations into the chaos that rocked his presidential bid launch rally, adding that those involved in the violence should be arrested and prosecuted.

“We have condemned in the strongest terms possible those who hired the goons to do those cowardly acts, the police have a duty to investigate and arrest those criminals,” he said.

“People are wondering how civilians could lay their hands on security gadgets like teargas canisters and toss them into a crowd,” he posed.

The CORD luminary was speaking at Kegoye in Vihiga County when he visited former Cabinet Minister Joseph David Otiende, who was among those injured in Saturday’s chaos.

Meanwhile, Orange Democratic Movement party Secretary General Ababu Namwamba has condemned those involved in chaos that marred Senator Moses Wetangula’s presidential bid launch on Saturday.

Speaking at Makunda in his Budalang’i Constituency, Namwamba called for prosecution of those found to have engaged in the chaos at Muliro Gardens in Kakamega that left two people seriously injured, terming the violence a part of outdated politics.

The ODM Secretary General challenged his political colleagues to embrace peace as they campaign for different elective seats across the country.

Chaos rocked the Wetangula presidential bid launch rally after ODM and his Ford Kenya supporters clashed, with the rally also being interrupted after two teargas canisters were hurled at the dais, causing a stampede.