Kigumo MP claims Raila wants to join gov’t through back door after new demands
Kigumo Member of Parliament Joseph Munyoro now claims that opposition leader Raila Odinga wants to ascend to power through the back door after his fresh demands on proposed bipartisan talks.
Munyoro said the demand by the Azimio la Umoja - One Kenya coalition leader for a broad process mirroring the 2008 National Accord which led to the formation of a coalition government is an indicator that he wants to share government with President William Ruto.
Munyoro said the current standoff between the opposition and government does not warrant the involvement of the international community in peace talks, insisting that Raila's demands on electoral and economic reforms can be handled by local leaders.
Speaking in his backyard in Muthuri during the issuance of bursaries to secondary and university students, the MP said Raila is shifting goalposts to pressure the government to enjoin him in government.
He said claims the former prime minister that a purely parliamentary process would not bear the desired outcome also shows he has a hidden card.
"We as the leaders are capable of handling the matter and we don't necessarily need aid from outside unless Odinga wants to cause chaos and take us back to where we were in 2007," Munyoro stated.
"We don't need to sign another accord because our aim is not to have a coalition government like it was the case in 2008 when we had the post-election violence," he added.
The MP also said the government won't be intimidated by the opposition's return to mass action threats.
"It's very clear that the former prime minister is pushing for his own agenda and not for the interest of the people as he is claiming," the MP stated.
In 2008, a mediation team led by former United Nations (UN) Secretary General Koffi Annan led the talks between former President Mwai Kibaki and Raila which saw the formation of the coalition government.
The MP claimed that the opposition leader caused a lot of trouble in the government, saying they can't allow the same to happen with Ruto's government.
"We have seen every time he gets into the government, he causes chaos and we won't give room for it," Munyoro remarked.
"We want the president to have a smooth time so that he can be able to serve the people and deliver the promises he made to them," he added.
