Raila faults State House for ‘barring’ Kalonzo from Uganda trip

National Super Alliance (NASA) presidential candidate, Raila Odinga, has accused State House of barring his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka from travelling to Uganda this morning.

Speaking after a Parliamentary Group meeting with NASA allied MPS at the Okoa Kenya Secretariat in Lavington, Raila alleged that Kalonzo and Wetangula were detained at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) while en route to Uganda University of Technology and Management where Kalonzo is set to preside over a graduation ceremony.

“Dictatorship is slowly creeping back it started with the recalling of the principals’ security detail and now Kalonzo was told that he cannot travel out of the country without clearance from State House, he was told that he and I cannot travel outside the country,” Raila said.

He said that the NASA leadership does not intend on getting clearance from the State in order to travel abroad.

“The Kenyan opposition must remain free as a legitimate part of the Kenyan political landscape and be allowed to pursue its mandate as an alternative government,” Raila said.

However, he acknowledged that the two were allowed to travel.

Election laws amendments

Raila also called for nationwide demonstrations to be held on Mondays and Fridays starting next week to oppose amendment of the Elections Act by Jubilee MPs which he termed as attempts to reverse democratic gains made by the country.

The former Prime Minister said that the changes to the law governing elections are meant to ‘rig’ the polls.

“Jubilee introduced Bills aimed at changing election laws without consulting consultation and that is why the consultative meeting with IEBC collapsed the amendments in Parliament are meant to take us back to the single party dictatorship. We have no option but to take the battle to the people,” Raila said.

He claimed that the move to amend the law is a continuation of the onslaught on independent institution by Jubilee.

Election Act Amendment

On Wednesday, September 27, Jubilee voted to convene a special meeting of Parliament to form a special committee that would discuss proposed changes to the Elections Act.

And on Thursday, September 28, Jubilee MPs pushed through a motion reducing maturity of two electoral reform Bills from 14 days to one with 144 MPs for and 53 against.