The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga has called out the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) for dragging his Azimio La Umoja into a verbal exchange between the Deputy President William Ruto's party and the Central Organisation of Trade Union (COTU) Secretary General, Francis Atwoli.
In a statement by his presidential campaign team dated Tuesday, February 8, Raila told off the UDA party for involving him and his Azimio La Umoja in a war of words he was not part of.
In the morning hours of February 8, UDA through the William Ruto Presidential Campaign Communications Director, Hussein Mohammed, accused Atwoli - who has been in the frontline campaigning for Raila - of using the wrong analogy to mock Ruto and Kenyans suffering from mental illness.
Atwoli made the comments on Monday, February 7, while accompanying President Uhuru Kenyatta for a function in Mombasa.
Former KTN journalist, Dennis Onsarigo, who is the press secretary for the Azimio La Umoja, noted that the earlier statement released by his former media colleague, Hussein, was aimed at blaming the outfit for the violence which is non-existent.
The former Prime Minister stated that comments made by UDA were part of a bigger scheme aimed at rejecting the August 9 election results.
"We keep reading an emerging narrative by a political formation that has sensed defeat. The group is planning to reject results at the August polls, and all they are doing is inflame passions and incite communities against each other," read the statement in part.
"The group is out to seek an alibi for their planned action after losing in the August polls. The merchants of violence and intimidation in this country are known; there is a dangerous plot by the same group to force Kenyans to vote for it, and its candidates or face unspecified consequences."
Raila's movement further called out UDA for making sentiments in public rallies that are aimed at dividing the nation ahead of the polls.
"The sentiments emerging from their public rallies and private functions are full of violent and destructive language. They are also determined to undermine the sovereignty of the Kenyan nation and its people by capturing power through any including unconstitutional means."
Hussein, in his statement, claimed that Azimio La Umoja was using a sensitive issue to gain political mileage, adding that it had made elections a matter of life and death.
"The remarks by their ‘ancient campaign expert’ Francis Atwoli, are completely unnecessary and go against the tenets of democracy. For Kenyans inflicted with violence and death including in the context of elections, this is not a laughing matter.
"The UDA party leader William Ruto is confident of a win in the 2022 Presidential election William Ruto has challenged and is unequivocally challenging his competitors once again to commit that they will not cause violence after losing the August 2022 presidential contest," read the UDA statement in part.
