Raila Odinga hijacked peace caravans to attack Jubilee Moses Kuria

Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria has accused Coalitions for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) leader Raila Odinga of hypocrisy and frustrating peace efforts in the country.

Speaking at the African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA) in Ruiru on Sunday, Kuria said Raila Odinga had hijacked his peace caravan initiative and turned it into a CORD campaign platform, reneging on their earlier agreement of a joint peace rally.

“He [Raila] has hijacked the peace caravan initiative and turned it into a CORD campaign. Yesterday he was in Kisii where he held a campaign and used the platform to hit out at Jubilee government,” said Kuria.

“How a can we agree not to politic about matters that are before court and then you turn around and do the exact opposite? This is a clear sign of hypocrisy and proof that the biggest impediment to peace in this country is Raila Odinga.”

Kuria’s agitation comes from the string of campaigns that CORD has lined up across the country in apparent show of support to CORD legislators who were detained over allegations of hate speech.

The CORD legislators who were held two weeks ago are MPs Junet Mohammed (Suna East MP), Timothy Bosire (Kitutu Masaba MP), Women Representatives Aisha Jumwa (Kilifi) and Florence Mutua (Busia) and Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama.

Jubilee legislators who held detained alongside their CORD counterparts are MPs Moses Kuria (Gatundu South), Ferdinand Waititu (Kabete) and Kimani Ngunjiri (Bahati).

During the lunch meeting Kuria stated that they had agreed on a joint peace rally that would see them traverse the home turfs of the eight ex-detainees in efforts to preach peace and unity, remarks that were echoed by his Bahati counterpart Mr Ngunjiri.

Speaking after the lunch meeting with the CORD principals Moses Wetangula, Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetangula, Kuria had said: “We have eaten Samaki, Ugali and Osuga and we are full and if you are out here fighting then it shows you are the ones who are lost.”

“I want a country where Raila Odinga can come and sleep at my home when he comes to campaign in Gatundu South and I be allowed to visit his home town in Bondo,” Kuria said.

All the legislators, except Waititu attended the lunch meeting at Kosewe which was also attended by CORD co-principals Moses Wetangula and Kalonzo Musyoka.

Waititu, in an interview with Royal Media’s Inooro TV, said that he had opted to skip the lunch date because he read mischief in the arrangement and did not trust Raila.

Barely a week after the lunch meeting, Raila and a host of other CORD legislators were in Kilifi on Friday and Saturday to “stand with” Aisha Jumwa before proceeding to Kisii to hold a similar rally I n support of Kitutu Masaba MP Timothy Bosire.

The CORD leader will also hold a similar rally in Florence Mutua’s home turf in Busia on Monday, before heading to Senator Johnson Muthama’s county of Machakos.

@benjaminwafula