Kenya is at a turning point and its future depends on how
its leaders and citizenry handle the current situation, former Prime Minister
Raila Odinga has said.
Speaking outside the county government offices in Siaya
town, Raila said the time had come for Kenyans to come together and make them move
forward as a nation.
The former premier, who was on the second day of his
consultative tour of the country with members of the public ahead of announcing
the way forward to his supporters, said Kenyans have been in the process of
nation-building for a long time, adding that as things stand now, people from
different ethnic backgrounds have embraced peaceful co-existence.
“We want to create one united nation called the Republic of
Kenya” he said adding, “Whatever we want or intend to do is intended to serve
that purpose.”
Raila, who had
earlier held a closed-door meeting with Siaya leaders, among them grassroots
ODM officials, elders and members of the Siaya county government executive,
called for patriotism among Kenyans, whom he urged to stop looking at each
other with suspicion.
Raila said the country
was at a stage where citizens must ensure that the constitution was implemented
fully.
“We want to ensure
that our constitution, which is rated as one of the best in the world, is fully
implemented,” he said, adding that once this is done, bad governance and
corruption will be taken to the museum.
Raila said that Kenyans want to see an equitable distribution
of resources and parliament performing its constitutionally mandated role.
“We don’t want MPs to usurp the role of the executive. Let
parliament represent people and oversight the national government as the county
assemblies oversight county governments,” he said.
Siaya governor, James Orengo said the county leadership was in support of the former premier’s move and has given him the go-ahead to carry on with consultations that will bring about a structured relationship in which there is equity, fairness, justice and freedom for Kenyans.
