Kikuyu member of parliament, Kimani Ichung’wah, on Thursday, April 6, admitted that opposition leader Raila Odinga had the power to end tensions in the country.
The leader of the majority at the National Assembly made the remarks while addressing the United Kingdom’s (UK) High Commissioner to Kenya, Jane Marriot, at his office in Parliament buildings.
According to Ichung'wah, Raila could order his protesters to protest peacefully and they would listen to his call.
“If Raila told his supporters to hold peaceful demos, if he said nobody will loot or destroy property, they will not. So he has the power to end the tensions," Ichung'wah stated.
He further blamed the chaotic demonstrations on Raila, adding that he was responsible for peaceful or chaotic demonstrations.
“I hope our friends will see the reason to have an election panel that will pick commissioners. Commissioners picked by political parties or politicians will always have their allegiance to whoever picked them,” Ichung’wah added, highlighting that the selection of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners should be conducted constitutionally.
The MP, one of Raila's fiercest critics, also underlined that talks between the government and the opposition should centre on election reforms rather than offering seats to election losers.
Meanwhile, Jane Mariott, the UK High Commissioner, was one of the signatories of a statement released on March 29, 2023, by eight embassies and High Commissions in Kenya calling for a resolution to the Azimio La Umoja-led protests.
The statement recalled Kenya’s 2022 General Election, which they argued was successfully conducted and unanimously confirmed by the Supreme Court.
Raila Odinga later bashed the statement on April 1, 2023, while in Siaya County at the funeral of Grace Onyango, the first female member of parliament in Kenya.
He claimed that the diplomats were turning a blind eye to electoral injustices in Kenya. According to Raila, Kenyans had a right to demonstrate under Article 37 of the Constitution.
“There is no European democracy, American democracy, and African democracy. It must be measured by the same standards universally.
“You cannot put development ahead of democracy,” Raila lamented.
