Raila Should Heed Ruto Call, Guide His Fanatical Supporters On Monday

By: Joseph Mutua Ndonga

Worth Noting:

• Baba is on record defending the countrywide mass action saying they were in line with provisions of the constitution. So, he always stated. Take it from me. The events of March 20 will be well organized and peaceful.
• He always cited Article 37 of the Constitution. The question now is. Will he manage to control big crowds of  his charged supporters?
• President Ruto stated the buck stops with him. We have no problem with his demonstrations but if things go wrong he will bear the responsibility. He is not above the law.
• Ruto added: This mungwana (man) has a history of organizing violent demonstrations. Here, the onus to demonstrate he has changed rests with Raila

Yes, President William Ruto is right.  Kenya is not a banana republic or a failed state. It is a country governed by the constitution and the rule of law and none of us is above the law.

He made these remarks as Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya Coalition leader Raila Odinga declared that his grand march to State House on March 20 is unstopabble. I have heard the religious leaders telling me to tone down and give dialogue a chance. My position has not changed.

You had elected me as your President and they rigged me in broad day light.

How? We know he filed a petition at Supreme Court. In unanimous decision, all the seven judges dismissed the petition and upheld the election of Dr William Ruto.

On that day, we shall march to reclaim our ‘stolen victory’.

I’m ready to pay the ultimate price and become sacrificial lamb for Kenya but I will need your support. So, turn up in Nairobi in large numbers.

Two days later, the armed youth chanting his slogans stormed and paralyzed a meeting organized by the Communication Authority (CA) which was chaired by CEO Ezra Chiloba.

As he and other participants scampered for safety, the youth turned everything at the venue upside down and eat all the food that had been prepared for them.

This is a rehearsal of what will happen on Monday. Ruto presidency is ‘illegitimate’, he is in office illegally.

We will join Baba to evict him from State House, some shouted.

These remarks were not only reckless but cast them as violent and unruly hordes of supporters.

Baba is on record defending the countrywide mass action saying they were in line with provisions of the constitution. So, he always stated. Take it from me. The events of March 20 will be well organized and peaceful.

He always cited Article 37 of the Constitution. The question now is. Will he  manage to control big crowds of  his charged supporters?

President Ruto stated the buck stops with him. We have no problem with his demonstrations but if things go wrong he will bear the responsibility. He is not above the law.

Ruto added: This mungwana (man) has a history of organizing violent demonstrations. Here, the onus to demonstrate he has changed rests with Raila.

I have been listening to views of the people at grassroots.

They say Raila has been raising legitimate concerns. However, majority of them want him to walk the talk and use legal means to address them.

I have heard Raila’s critics claiming that his plan was not meant to address myriad of challenges facing Kenyans.

He was instead fighting for selfish interest with the ultimate goal of forcing the new government to share power with him.

This time I would expect him to do things differently because this is only way he can shed off that tag.

My unsolicited advise to Raila is.  If he still believe he was rigged out, he is free to return to the Supreme Court and present the new evidence.

You have been talking about the ‘whistle blower dossier’.

The critics would always hit back, posing.  Why did you fail to present the content of theb dossier as the main evidence during the hearing of your petition?

Why as a nation is always important to follow the rule of law and the provisions of the constitution?

If we turn deaf ear, we shall driving our country along the trajectory of political anarchy and disasters.

Sometimes back, Raila unveiled Jeshi La Baba (army of Baba), operating the banner of Movement for Defence of Democracy (MDD)/ Green Revolution. The movement is mainly comprised of  jobless youths drawn from the Nairobi and Kisumu slums, former university students and Bunge la Mwananchi.

As a political commentator, I have so far made this observation.

It seems that Raila has reached to point of no return. He know he is on sunset years. So it is now or never.

He has previously contested five presidential elections and lost.

At 79, the age has also catch up with him and the previous media reports indicated he has been experiencing health challenges.

Given this scenerio, one cannot sweep under the carpet the  comments he has been making in recent past.

In the latest one, he said. On that day (March 20), I’m ready to become a sacrificial lamb for Kenya.

Here, he seems to suggest someone was buying for his blood. Is there anyone after his life? If any, he should tell us. But what I know is that majority of Kenyans including me wish him a long life.

Being the opposition leader, I would expect him to perform his role  without endangering the  lives of his foot soldiers-hundreds of jobless youths.

I’m sure the National Security Intelligence (NIS) is regularly briefing and updating President William Ruto about his plan.

Attempting to overthrow a popularly and democratically elected President is a serious crime and falls under the category of capital offences. One  risks being charged with treason.

I hope this is not what Raila is planning to do. The Azimio leader like saying this. There were so many ways of skinning a cat. I would love to see him using legal means.

Joseph Mutua Ndonga is a writer and political analyst based in Nairobi