Deported opposition activist Miguna Miguna has opened a new war front with his political mentor, Mr Raila Odinga, accusing him of abandoning him at his greatest hour of need and allegedly presenting a “fake picture to Kenyans that he is a statesman”.
In a scathing audio message from Canada on Sunday, Mr Miguna also poked holes in the unity deal between Mr Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta, saying it is only a matter of time before it collapses, given the history of “shared cynicism” the two have towards the citizenry.
However, it is his outrage against Mr Odinga, who last week accused the fiery lawyer of being his own worst enemy, that is likely to stoke the political fires even more. Mr Miguna accused the former prime minister of political dictatorship and intolerance, and building “an edifice of political impunity within ODM where his word is like a fiat, or even the 10 commandments of God”.
“He does not want a system that would encourage ability, merit and integrity to be the foundations of leadership,” said Mr Miguna, his apparent disdain for the opposition leader made worse by Mr Odinga’s assertion in London last week that he (Mr Miguna) had refused to cooperate with Immigration officials when he was deported from the country for the second time in March.
REINSTATE HISCITIZENSHIP
“What did Raila do?” he posed, challenging the ODM leader to come clean on the efforts, if any, he has made to pressure the government to allow him back into the country and reinstate his citizenship.
“He talks as if he was detained with me (yet) he came to JKIA drunk as a skunk. He could not even speak. He was incoherent. He couldn’t even stand on his two feet.”
Mr Odinga did not respond to the claims, apparently on the strength of the advice of his party’s communication director, Mr Philip Etale, who cautioned him not to respond to Mr Miguna as “he is a man not worth his time”.
The self-declared general of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) said many Kenyans who support his quest for electoral and social justice still question Mr Odinga’s wisdom in abandoning his reforms crusade and joining hands with the government.
The “reconciliation” betrays the principles for which the NRM was established, which is to fight for electoral justice, social justice, the protection of and respect for the Constitution, respect for the rule of law, and the independence of the Judiciary, he added.
BETRAYED REFORMS
The ODM leader, according to Mr Miguna, betrayed the reforms cause, and so his ‘Building the Bridges’ initiative with the Jubilee government was “a myth that does little to address the country’s political challenges.
“We’re not scared of them (Raila and Kenyatta) and we will confront the culture of impunity head-on,” he said.
“The myth about reconciliation is going nowhere because it is a manipulative, deceitful and fraudulent act by two individuals to save their skin. They are not visionary leaders and they must be opposed by Kenyans of goodwill.”
President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga have selected a 14-member team of advisers to oversee the implementation of their peace pact. The team is due to start its sittings in the first week of June.
ELITE-BASED LEADERSHIP
But Mr Miguna thinks that by agreeing to work with Jubilee and targeting the leadership of NRM, Mr Odinga is helping to build “a dynastic, elite-based leadership” to defeat political justice.
The fiery lawyer was accused of treason for his role in commissioning the mock swearing-in of Mr Odinga as the “people’s president” in January, and on February 6 was deported after being held incommunicado for five days. He was kicked out again in March when he tried to re-enter the country, and he says President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga should demonstrate willingness to change by allowing him back.
“If the mythical bridges mean anything, we would like to see whether the rule of law is going to be upheld, whether the Constitution is going to be adhered to strictly, and if court orders are going to be obeyed,” he said, referring to orders that he be issued with a Kenyan passport and allowed to return to the country.
-nation.co.ke
