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Raila promises to revive economy, address extra-judicial killings in Coast

Sunday, September 19th, 2021 07:28 | By
ODM leader Raila Odinga PHOTO/COURTESY

Former Prime Minister and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga has promised to end rampant extra-judicial killings and revive economy of the coastal region.

Speaking when he met ODM delegates in Mombasa on Saturday September 18, the former premier said it was high time for youth and women be supported to move from small scale fish mongering to large scale.

"We must finish the job of empowering the women of this region. Let us move women along the Indian Ocean from being small scale fish mongers and make them traders in value added fish and sea products," he said.

Raila further said coastal region was rich in minerals, coconut and tourism and these sectors were yet to be fully exploited.

"With a committed, united and visionary leadership, we will create sustainable investments, sustainable economy and sustainable cities along the Kenya Indian Ocean," he added.

He said modern infrastructure along the Indian Ocean was long overdue saying it needed to be modernised for the Port of Mombasa to compete with its peers in the region.

"The Coast’s massive potential has long been held back by poor infrastructure. Turning around infrastructure here is a task we can never fail in. We commit to ensure that the Mombasa gate infrastructure projects, the Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone, the Lamu Port, the Lunga Lunga-Mombasa-Malindi-Lamu-Garissa roads, and Shimoni Fishing Port, among others, are realized," he stated.

The ODM leader also took issue with rampant cases of extra-judicial killings in the coast saying they needed to be addressed urgently.

"Forced disappearance and extra-judicial executions are manifestations of the culture of impunity that haunts the country. We must build mechanisms to detect, deter and combat that impunity. We must fight uneven, illegal and unfair application of state power.

"We must keep our eyes on criminal networks that take advantage of the poverty and security lapses to inflict pain on our people, especially the youth. When injustice happens, we must provide effective and efficient justice to victims," he said.

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