Raila calls for a million man protest

Last updated: 36 minutes ago

Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga has called for a million-man march on Thursday to protest what they called a “civilian coup”.
Leading the party’s 100 MPs-elect, Mr Odinga said the Electoral Commission had presided over a civilian coup by declaring President Mwai Kibaki the Head of State.
They have decided to put off a public rally earlier planned for today at Nairobi’s Uhuru Park, and instead vowed to use peaceful means to force President Kibaki out of office. Today’s rally was styled as a platform for Mr Odinga to address the nation as the President-elect.
The party said they had already issued the requisite three-day notice to the police about the Thursday march, expected to take place in all major towns in the country. Party supporters will wear black bands, cloths and carry twigs only.
“We are law abiding citizens of Kenya who do not want to give anybody an opportunity to claim the laws were ignored. They are now informed that Kenyans will demand back power the ECK had given Mr Kibaki in a civilian coup,” Mr Odinga said.
Addressing journalists at Orange House after an ODM National Executive Committee and Parliamentary Group meeting, Mr Odinga accused the police provoking and killing people in total disregard to the mandate they had given him to be President.
He appealed for peace and calm saying hooliganism and criminal acts would not provide the way forward to the impasse created by ECK chairman Mr Samuel Kivuitu and asked the international community to intervene and save Kenya from losing its glory as Africa’s democratic state.
“We deliberated over weighty issues regarding the elections and rigging that took place. We are pained and saddened that within 48 hours democracy we fought so hard to bring is strangled and killed by a small clique of people,” he said.
He said the country was in a state of mourning and the funeral atmosphere will engulf the peaceful demonstration on Thursday. He said the ECK chairman had acted irresponsibly as though he doesn’t live in the country to provide its citizens with their legally elected “ President”.
Mr Odinga accused Internal security minister Mr John Michuki of using maximum force in the belief that if it sustained for two or three days then Kenyans will give up.
“We will not recognise Kibaki as the President of Kenya and will fight him out of office through peaceful and legal means,” he said.
He however ruled out going to court about an obvious fact and wondered whether the premise of the law had changed for him to prove that he was the winner against the loser.
“If he is not guilty why does he seclude himself in State House at dusk to be sworn in without the media, diplomats, observers and other Heads of States,” he added.

By compiled by a

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