The Opposition leader cited that the National Land Policy had established a blueprint for settling the land injustices which has remained largely unimplemented/COURTESY
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 19 – National Super Alliance (NASA) candidate Raila Odinga on Monday termed calls by Jubilee Party leaders for his arrest as “absolute non-sense.”
On Sunday, National Assembly Leader of Majority Aden Duale demanded Odinga’s arrest over utterances he made in Kajiado County.
Speaking in Kiambu, President Uhuru Kenyatta equally accused the Opposition leader of using divisive tact in a bid to win political support.
Odinga told a news conference held at the NASA Secretariat that he has no apologies to make over remarks he made while campaigning in Kajiado on Thursday urging the Maa Community not to sell off their ancestral property.
“What is it that I have said; which requires investigations. My statement speaks for itself, there is nothing criminal that I have said or done, so what would they be investigating?” he said.
“Jubilee Party is sensationalising the comments made in Kajiado firstly because they have messed up the land chapters of the Constitution and secondly because scaremongering is the only campaign tool they are left with.”
The former Prime Minister defended his sentiments are vindicated by the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) Report which acknowledges land was lost through historical injustices.
Odinga repeated his demand for the implementation of TJRC Report on historical injustices as a way of dealing with the land injustices.
“In the meantime we continue asking those who are registered as proprietors to stop selling land that they hold in trust. This is what we were urging in Kajiado. We told the proprietors that they must put the interests of the young Maasai people first because it is for them that they hold the land.”
The NASA presidential candidate accused Jubilee Administration of failing to enact effective laws to safeguard community land.
He pledged that a NASA administration will address these issues when it is elected into office after the August polls.
The Opposition leader cited that the National Land Policy had established a blueprint for settling the land injustices which has remained largely unimplemented.
“As it is, Jubilee does not want to hear the TJRC report. Unless the TJRC report is implemented fully, we cannot wish away the land issue,” Odinga told a press conference.
Kajiado Central MP Elijah Memusi accused Jubilee Administration of sensationalising Odinga’s remarks.
Memusi said that the Maa Community has had to sell their land due to desperation and poverty and that it was affecting every corner of this nation.
“We do not want politics to be played in such grave matters as land. Why is it normal when Uhuru tells his supporters in Kiambu not to sell their land during a title deed handover ceremony but it is now wrong when Raila tells Maa community not to do the same?” he asked.
Director of Public Prosecution Keriako Tobiko and Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery announced over the weekend that the NASA flag-bearer is already being probed over his remarks at a rally in Kajiado County last week.
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