The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party has condemned the incident where Deputy President William Ruto’s motorcade was pelted with stones in Kondele, Kisumu County, on Wednesday.
In a statement on Thursday, UDA Chairman Johnson Muthama linked rival party ODM to the chaos.
Muthama said the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) should hold the party accountable and effect a disciplinary action.
He suggested that the Raila Odinga-led party should be disqualified from participating in the 2022 General Election.
“November 10th, 2021 will forever be a day of infamy. It is a day that Kenyans were reminded that the dark days of political violence which they believed had vanished could be back. It is a day that reminded peace-loving Kenyans that the dark days of “Kanu zones” when opposition political parties were barred from campaigning in some parts of the country have never really gone away,” Muthama said.
“It is a day that reminded Kenyans that the government had given up its mandate to protect its citizens. The stoning of the Deputy President William Ruto’s campaign entourage at Kondele, Kisumu County, yesterday is a wake up call not only by the citizens of Kenya, but also by the institutions charged with ensuring peaceful elections and transition next year.”
Read: Raila Distances Self from Chaos That Rocked Ruto’s Rally in Kondele
Muthama also slammed the National Police Service and National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) for what he termed as laxity in pursuing individuals behind the attack.
“Curiously the Kenya Police, National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) have remained aloof and have not acted in a way that would inspire confidence from Kenyans. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) should take action in disciplining ODM Party by even disqualifying them from participating in the coming general elections,” he added.
Muthama noted that despite presidential hopeful Jimmy Wanjigi undergoing a similar experience in Migori in September the institutions have remained mum on the matter.
“A few weeks ago Jimi Wanjigi, a presidential aspirant within the Orange Democratic movement was stoned in Migori County and little was heard from the government institutions,” he said.
Read Also: DP Ruto’s Kisumu Tour Ends Prematurely as Rowdy Youths Disrupt Rally, Pelt stones
He criticized the police for blaming Ruto for yesterday’s chaos saying they could have prevented it with the intelligence they had.
The police yesterday said Ruto ignored intelligence reports of tension within Kondele estate after some groups missed out on promised campaign handouts
“Yesterday Kenya Police issued a lame statement stating that the Deputy President had been warned of chaos prior to the visit. Nothing could be far from the truth. The question that police should answer is when did they know about the chaos and what did they do about it to ensure the stoning does not happen and it is stopped?” he posed.
He urged NCIC and IEBC to rise to the occasion and stop political violence in the country.
Read Also: DP Ruto Was Advised to Skip Kondele Over Campaign Funds Dispute Among Locals – Police
“The NCIC has been lethargic and carefree at best. This is a commission best known for organizing workshops at top hotels with nothing to show for it. The commission should by now have arrested an emerging pattern where politicians of certain political earnings have been using words that can be construed as intended to incite Kenyans,” Muthama added.
“The IEBC needs to come out in force and say in no uncertain terms will it allow politicians inciting Kenyans to contest in the elections.”
He said UDA won’t hesitate to disqualify aspirants linked to poll-related violence.
ODM has denied involvement in the Kondele chaos. The party accuses Ruto’s men of stage-managing the violence to milk political sympathy.
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