CORD leader Raila Odinga with Narc Kenya boss Martha Karua. Photo/MIKE KARIUKI
NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 5 – Legislators allied to the opposition Coalition for Reforms and Democracy have threatened to boycott President Uhuru Kenyatta’s address to Parliament set for Monday afternoon.
Senate Minority Leader Moses Wetangula said the President should only address parliament to discuss the State of the Nation. Although the agenda for the address has not been communicated, it is widely expected that the Head of State will talk about his impending trip to the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague to honour court summons.
“The Constitution states that the President will address Parliament on the state of the nation, ICC is not, so I have asked our Senators and MPs to skip the meeting,” stated Wetangula.
On Friday, President Uhuru Kenyatta wrote to the Speakers of both Houses to prepare for the special sitting which comes just two days before his anticipated date with the ICC.
Wetangula spoke at an Okoa Kenya rally in Kangemi Nairobi where fellow Senators Boni Khalwale, Johnstone Muthama and Hassan Omar affirmed that they will not attend the session.
“President Kenyatta will be addressing some Senators and MPS, ‘bullfighter’ will be absent because it is against the law,” said Khalwale.
On his part, Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar Hassan said he would skip the address in solidarity with the victims of the post-election violence who are rarely mentioned when the ICC debate rages.
Also in attendance at the rally was NARC Kenya leader Martha Karua who steered clear of the referendum debate and rather concentrating her energy on their push for referendum which she said was meant to endure that devolution is entrenched and protected.
“I will not be shaken by those opposed to the referendum, they will be shaken by the referendum,” said Karua.
Karua went on to urge leaders to read and understand the Constitution so as to enjoy its fruits.
During the rally, CORD leader Raila Odinga was handed over 30 books containing 24,000 signatures from Westlands constituency MP Tim Wanyonyi as part of the signature collection for the Okoa Kenya referendum drive.
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