Jubilee Party leaders have demanded that National Super Alliance (NASA) Presidential candidate Raila Odinga publicly apologizes for reportedly uttering inciting remarks in Kajiado County last Thursday.
Led by Jubilee Party Secretary General Raphael Tuju and the leader of majority in the National Assembly Majority Aden Duale, the Jubilee leaders criticized Odinga’s remarks, saying that they were reckless.
“Raila Odinga can’t look for votes by dividing the country. NCIC, DPP should not waste time to investigate Odinga. He is a leader and must come out and honorably apologize to Kenyans,” Duale said during a press conference at the party headquarters in Nairobi.
“We demand that Odinga comes out and apologize to Kenyans for the sake of peace. I can confess here that in 2007, ODM party, which I was a member, used the same hatred techniques through, 41 tribes against one. And we saw what happened afterwards,” Duale added.
The Garissa Township MP said that Odinga, being a national leader, should not be investigated for hate remarks, but should come out and apologize publicly.
“It is a waste of time for the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and Office of Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to initiate investigation against Odinga.
“He is a Presidential candidate and respected leader so what we are demanding from him is a public apology,” said Duale.
Rails remarks have elicited mixed reactions from both Jubilee and NASA factions. While Jubilee says that Raila statement amounted to hate speech, those on the opposite divide have defended Odinga’s remarks, arguing that he was misinterpreted.
