NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 12 – Prime Minister Raila Odinga has said that the people who visited mayhem on Kenyans in the era of single party dictatorship are the same ones leading the opposition to the proposed Constitution.
He said those leading the opposition to the new constitution had been in power for years but failed to give Kenyans even a draft to consider.
Addressing a delegation of community leaders and Mau Mau veterans from the Meru region at his Karen home on Monday, Mr Odinga expressed confidence that the fighting spirit that made Kenyans overcome colonialists and single party rule would prevail on August 4 with a Yes victory.
The delegation had come to wish the PM quick recovery and invite him for campaigns in Meru and Tharaka before August 4.
The Prime Minister recalled the “dark days” of the Nyayo House torture chambers and detentions and said the people who presided over those abuses are the same ones fighting the proposed Constitution.
He likened the single party regime of the 1980s to “a lion with teeth and claws” but said despite its cruelty, the regime was never able to kill the hunger for change.
“People were taken to Nyayo House and thrown 20 floors down to their death. Then the country was told such people had committed suicide. And those who did all these things are the same ones opposing this Constitution. And they have the audacity to say that they were protecting state security,” the PM said.
“Kenneth Matiba, who was a very energetic man, full of life, was ruined just because he asked to be allowed to hold a public rally to ask Kenyans whether they wanted multi-parties. For that, he was detained and his life ruined to date,” he added.
He said those fighting the new Constitution have misread the fighting spirit of Kenyans.
“The people who went to the forest to fight the colonialists knew the British had guns, police and even army. But they said they had been pushed to the wall and they would fight. That spirit will prevail on August 4,” the PM said.
Imenti Central MP Mr Gitobu Imanyara who led the delegation said verbal attacks on US ambassador Michael Ranneberger by the No team indicated that the opponents of the draft do not know the history of the struggle.
“Ranneberger was not here when Kenyans began this struggle more than 20 years ago,” the MP said.
He asked Kenyans to unite against what he called “the ganging up of Kanu and YK92 operatives” to deny the country a good constitution.
“Whenever this country is about to make a leap, this group has ganged up to ensure the process aborts. These are the people whose activities ruined this country. But their days are numbered. Their 40 days have come,” Mr Imanyara said.
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