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Tight security as Raila arrives for Eldoret rally

The controversial rally which was initially opposed by the county government will take place at the 64 Stadium/FILE

The controversial rally which was initially opposed by the county government will take place at the 64 Stadium/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 27 – CORD leader Raila Odinga arrived in Eldoret on Friday afternoon, in time for a major political rally.

The controversial rally which was initially opposed by the county government will take place at the 64 Stadium.

Security was tight in the town where more security personnel were deployed since Thursday following fears it could be disrupted.

Odinga has vowed to continue with his series of countrywide rallies ahead of the main one scheduled for July 7 at the Kamukunji grounds in Nairobi. Eldoret is a Jubilee stronghold.

READ CORD rallies will continue, Raila declares

Together with his co-principals in the coalition – former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and Senator Moses Wetangula – Odinga insist the rallies will continue until the government agrees to hold a national dialogue conference.

In an open letter to President Uhuru Kenyatta last Friday, Odinga assured him that he was not out to interfere with his tenure after accepting defeat in the 2013 General Election.

READ I’ve accepted defeat, Raila tells Uhuru in letter

The former Prime Minister said CORD was only exercising its constitutional mandate of oversight and that it would continue to uphold peace across the country.

“Last year after the Supreme Court heard and determined my petition challenging the presidential elections, I accepted the verdict. I did that as a true believer in constitutionalism and the rule of law and declared that Kenya is greater than any one of us,” he said.

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“However, since then, Kenya has been faced with major problems and challenges that may tear the country apart if not immediately addressed. I have chosen the path of dialogue as the lawful and sensible way of dealing with what the country faces today.”

In the letter, he reiterated that his planned rallies ahead of Saba Saba are peaceful and only aimed at highlighting what he describes as genuine concerns on issues affecting Kenyans.

He outlined five key agenda issues he wants discussed in a national dialogue – which include national unity, devolution, corruption, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and national security.

A section of Jubilee and CORD leaders have since asked Odinga to stop the rallies in a bid to lower political temperatures and to sustain the national stability.

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