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Wednesday, May 19, 2021 -Orange Democratic Movement ODM Party has threatened to make a retreat on the Handshake claiming their Jubilee counterparts are using it to frustrate democracy.
In his reaction over what transpired in the just concluded Bonchari by-election, Raila warned that it will be hard to continue talking about the Handshake when there are members from the Jubilee Party’s side who are using it for selfish reasons.
“What we have witnessed in the by-elections in Bonchari and Juja is an abuse of police powers and an arrogant display of impunity by a few overzealous and bellicose government functionaries,” partly read an excerpt from Odinga’s Tuesday statement.
He went on to state that an election process was not there to create an opportunity for the government to use force to achieve that which they cannot.
“Security forces exist to serve the people and not the interests of those out to conduct political experiments,” added Odinga
His statement was coming just hours after ODM Party Secretary General Edwin Sifuna cautioned that time to re-evaluate the Handshake was nigh. He added that, police acting on orders, had brutalized so many ODM members in Bonchari area; him having been forced to escape the police dragnet for three consecutive days.
“We want an equal playground for all contestants. We will not accept to be in partnership with parties such as Jubilee yet they are the ones using State resources to undermine us,” he stated.
Despite the rants, ODM Party finally emerged victorious through the former Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) Director-General Pavel Oimeke who managed to get 9,049 votes. He was trailed by Jubilee’s Zebedeo Opore who garnered 7,279 while United Democratic Alliance UDA candidate came distant third with 6,964.
