Government MPs say clashes driven by ethnic cleansing
Government MPs Tuesday asked ODM leader Raila Odinga to distance himself from hardliners in the party who are not interested in a peaceful end to the political crisis. The MPs claimed Mr Odinga was under siege from forces beyond the disputed presidential elections results.
Mr Danson Mungatana, the Government MPs secretary, said the protest against the election results had assumed a new dimension with some ODM leaders using it as an excuse to advance their Majimbo agenda. “This is no longer about the disputed Presidential elections results and Raila issues. Some people are hiding behind it to engage in ethnic cleansing,” he said. Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi and Mbooni MP Mutula Kilonzo echoed similar sentiments saying the killings in Rift Valley must be stopped. Mr Murungi said the deaths and evictions in the vast province were not related to ODM’s objection of elections result. “The violence in Rift Valley has to do with old historical land cases which are being fuelled by people who were calling for Majimbo during the campaigns,” he said.
Mr Kilonzo, citing the latest violence in Kipkelion, and other areas said the arson cases and evictions were executed in vengeance beyond election results. “You can now understand why as MPs in the coalition, we are drawing a clear line between those protesting against results of a closely fought and unclear election outcome, although to me it is very clear, and people who pushed for Majimbo but have not recanted even today,” he said. Siakago MP Lenny Kivuti said the public should be informed of the new forms of violence for them to resolve it.
The MPs were speaking after a Parliamentary Group meeting which brought together PNU and affiliate parties MPs at KICC. The meeting was chaired by Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka. Among issues discussed were the renewed violence in the country and the expected talks between the Government and ODM, to be mediated by former UN boss Kofi Annan. Mr Musyoka left the meeting early to join President Kibaki at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to receive Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni.
The VP, who is leading the Government team on reconciliation talks, said: “The issue is not about calling the other side to name their negotiators. We are not into negotiations; what we are stressing is dialogue to bring down the tension in the country.” He said that is why the State allowed the mass services for those who died in the clashes held on Monday in Kakamega and Kisumu to ease the tension.
Mr Mungatana said the MPs were in agreement that ethnic cleansing was taking shape in the Rift Valley. He named two key ODM members from the regions as the forces behind the new violence. He said that Mr Odinga had called for an end to mass protests and violence through his press secretary Salim Lone but the two leaders maintained that mass action was to continue.
“If we are to have any discussions, we urge Raila to separate himself from people behind ethnic cleansing. There are those in ODM who genuinely have problems with election results while others with a different agenda are hiding behind it. We want to dialogue with genuine people,” he said.
Daily Nation
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