NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 29 – Secretary General Central Organization of Trade Union of Kenya (COTU) Francis Atwoli has called on retired President Uhuru Kenyatta to steer clear of and pursue peace.
Speaking on Saturday during a forum with shop stewards in Nairobi, Atwoli argued that a retired Head of State should not take political sides but instead offer to be a peacemaker.
‘’For those asking me to have a sit down talk with Raila and Ruto that should be done by our retired President Uhuru Kenyatta. Once you become a retired President you should be a peacemaker,’’ Atwoli said.
Additionally, Atwoli said the role of retired Presidents should be stipulated in the Constitution to ensure former Heads of State are duty-bond to lead peace efforts.
His remarks came days after Kenyatta confronted police officers who had cordoned off the Jubilee Party Headquarters located at Kileleshwa amid wrangles between two rival factions.
Kenyatta who engineered President William Ruto’s expulsion from Jubilee Party and formed an alliance to campaign for opposition leader Raila Odinga has stayed put in Azimio saying the veteran opposition chief will remain his leader even as he ceded power to his successor.
Kenyatta confronts police
While making a public appearance at the party headquarters Kenyatta, who is Party Leaders, was accompanied by the embattled secretary general Jeremiah Kioni
“We are not leaving here until you leave,” Kenyatta told the police officers as the supporters who escorted him cheered on.
Soon after the police officers left the premises, the Kioni-led faction led Kenyatta into party headquarters that had been sealed off following court orders.
Shortly after, Kenyatta addressed journalists bashing the National Police whom he accused of being used to settle political scores instead of undertaking their mandate independently.
“I want to ask our police officers to kindly follow the law. We have seen you so many times following the path of violating the law. Please adhere to justice because you pledged to protect the country and the people,” he said while steering clear of developments in court.
Kenyatta, who was visibly angered, questioned why the police meddled with the internal affairs of the Jubilee Party.
“This property is not ours, we have only rented it. We have neighbors surrounding this building yet you have thrown teargas at them so that you can take the house by force. That’s not right, that’s not the law,” he said.
