National Dialogue: Raila Odinga warns of ‘storm’ if State ignores talks plea

Coalition for Reforms and Democracy leader Raila Odinga has cautioned President Uhuru Kenyatta of a “political storm” if the Jubilee government maintains a hardline stance against the national dialogue his team is seeking.

But in a quick rejoinder from Nyeri, at the burial of Governor Nderitu Gachagua’s father, Deputy President William Ruto hit back at the Opposition. “We are telling them that the election is over, it is time they gave us a break and let us implement our manifesto. After three-and-half years we will be back to the electorate and they will decide,” said Ruto, who has been against the dialogue.

Ruto said the Government was stable and would withstand the pressure from the Opposition.
“Let me assure Kenyans that the Government under the stewardship of President Uhuru Kenyatta is firm. We are used to these noises and we will not let down Kenyans,’’ the DP went on.
But in what seems to be a hardening of positions five days since he returned from abroad, the former Prime Minister said the country is in crisis on various fronts, including insecurity and corruption. Raila said these matters could not be sorted out by the Jubilee coalition alone.

Addressing a political rally in Nairobi’s Eastleigh Estate, Raila told Uhuru he couldn’t afford to play “deaf and dumb” to demands for serious talks between the Jubilee government and the Opposition.
Raila asked Uhuru to brace for a political storm that will sweep across the country.

“I tell my brother Uhuru, ‘You have to look up and see the coming storm. This will not be an ordinary storm. It will be a powerful roaring political storm, which can only be stopped if you hold serious talks with us. There is no turning back. The country is in a crisis,’” Raila threatened.
He added: “If the President rejects our offer for talks, Kenyans will conduct their own talks during “Saba Saba Day” (July 7) and make a decision there on how to move forward.”

The Orange leader termed as an insult likening the “national dialogue” to a “cup of tea” at State House.
He insisted that he wants nothing short of substantive discussions and tight agreements on key national issues including tackling what he termed as runaway insecurity, corruption, threats to Devolution and the disbandment of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

“The talks we are demanding are not about inviting us to State House for a cup of tea with the President. We don’t lack cups of tea where we are now. No, that would be an insult. We want serious discussions on how the country can move forward.”

He went on: “Things are so bad that we can’t wait for 2017. The talks have to happen now.”  He said Uhuru appears willing to engage in substantive discussions with the Opposition, but is being dissuaded by a clique of political leaders and advisers in the coalition who are pushing a hardline stance.

“When Uhuru gave a speech on Madaraka Day, he said he was ready to engage in serious talks with the Opposition. A few days later, he changes his mind. He should not be dissuaded from these urgent talks by those around him for he is the one who will face the political storm that is coming,” insisted Raila.    

Read More

Raila wants KDF withdrawn from Somalia

The former Prime Minister who addressed members of the Somali community in Eastleigh said the continued stay of Kenya Defence Forces soldiers in Somalia is hurting Kenyans.

“It is high time the Government should evaluate whether there is any reason to still have our soldiers at Somalia. Does their continued stay in Somali bring peace to our country?” he posed.“We went there because there were many attacks then by the thugs.”

President Uhuru Kenyatta has insisted that he has no intention of withdrawing the troops from the war torn country until they accomplish their mission.

Kenyan forces that are now fighting under the AMISOM command moved into Somalia in 2011 and have continued to boast of major success in neutralising the Al Shabaab militia.

Odinga also challenged the Government to enhance security instead of launching ad-hoc operations that are allegedly targeted at one community.

“The kind of operation we saw here was discriminatory; this should not happen,” he argued.

The Usalama Watch operation has seen over 2,000 people arrested and screened with more than 200 being deported to their countries for lack of legal documents.

Explosive materials and illegal fire arms were recovered but critics of the operation argue it was targeted at the Somali community.


The operation was mainly carried out at Eastleigh in Nairobi and in some parts of the coast region mostly in Mombasa County.

Read More

KPL - Bring on Gor, Leopards declare

Dutch head coach, Hendrik Pieter de Jongh believes a win in Sunday’s KPL Mashemeji derby against arch rivals Gor Mahia, will inspire the side to erase the disappointment of losing the Cecafa Nile Basin Cup final.

This comes after the club petitioned the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) to defer the match to allow Ingwe recharge their batteries from a gruelling run of fixtures at the inaugural regional event that pools domestic cup winners from Cecafa affiliates.

He was speaking to Capital Sport on Thursday when the team touched down at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport from Sudan where they lost 2-1 at the final hurdle at the hands of Uganda’s SC Victoria University.

The team was warmly received by Isukuti drums as fans decked in their blue and white stripes jerseys camping at the busy airport as early as 6 am before they were later on hosted to a breakfast by Secretary General George Aladwa who rewarded them with Sh300,000 (USD 3, 426,615).

“The tournament was good since we learnt a lot on our weakness and strength although we did not come home with the trophy. We were the better side in the entire tournament but we lost it in the final, that’s how football is since the match had to have a winner.

“Victoria were a good side especially in the first half but in the second period we changed formation but we were unlucky since the opponents scored in injury time to win the competition,” De Jongh observed.
Speedy winger Paul Were said they lost to a better side and suffered the absence of forward Noah Wafula and midfielder Bernard Mang’oli who were sent off in their semi-final clash against Burundi’s Academie Tchite during the tense decider.

“We had a nice outing and I never expected something like this to happen but I thank our fans who rallied behind us al through the tournament.“We worked as a team and that’s why we reached the final although it was not that easy because we missed our two key players who received red cards but I thank all the players for their commitment.“We played well since we did not have a good run in the league but we proved to our supporters in Cecafa and thank God we finished second though we wanted to lift the trophy,” Were who was the stand-in captain in the two weeks long regional tournament stated.

Focus on derby
Ingwe who were in high spirits, were upbeat ahead of their Mashemeji derby, the first this season despite Aladwa writing to KPL and FKF, requesting to have the game postponed to give Leopards ample time to prepare.

“The players have been playing away in Sudan for the last two weeks and they have arrived this morning, they need a rest. We have sent a letter to both football bodies to at least postpone the match for as to prepare adequately.“We are playing against Gor who are our rivals and not any other club so they should give us at least one week,” Aladwa told Capital Sport.

De Jongh however, declared he will give priority to players who show quality in training as he looks forward to select the strongest squad.“Players should prove themselves in training to be selected to the starting lineup because there is no one big or small.“We are set to go to camp from tomorrow to prepare for this big game although I have little knowledge about Gor after following them in the internet. This is a derby I don’t expect it to be easy but we will make a strong line up and 90 minutes plus hard fighting will give us maximum points,” the Dutchman who will be on the touchline for the first time in a KPL match underscored.
On his part Were said, “The derby will be a challenge to us because we have had a poor run in the league but we will give our all since our fans expects more from us.“We hope to carry on our good run from Sudan in the match since the tournament brought us together and we are more committed. I believe we will give our best and I’m 100 percent sure we will win,” Were said.


Leopards are 12th on the log with 11 points but with a game at hand while defending champions Gor are perched at the summit with 29 points.

Read More

Athletics - Kiplagat, Sum rule Rome

World champion, Eunice Sum and Commonwealth winner, Silas Kiplagat, were among the big winners at the Rome Golden Gala Thursday night, the fourth 2014 IAAF Diamond League meet of the season.

Kiplagat and Djibouti’s Ayanleh Souleiman battled for supremacy over the mile in Eugene on Saturday, with the latter winning in a superb national record of 3:47.32 to the Kenyan’s personal best of 3:47.88.
But five days later, in the Italian capital over the slightly shorter 1500m, the tables were turned as Kiplagat pulled away in the final 50 metres to win in 3:30.44 with Djibouti’s world indoor champion second this time in 3:31.89.

World champion Asbel Kiprop was more of a factor in this race than he had been in the Eugene mile and the Kenyan tried to challenge off the last bend but had no answer to the acceleration of the two men in front of him and came home third in 3:31.89.

Another Kenyan winner came, fairly predictably, in the 3000m steeplechase but wasn’t predictable was the man who crossed the line first, and on this occasion it was Jairus Birech.

Running away from the rest of the field with just over laps to go and with a 40-metre lead at the bell, Birech finished in 8:06.20 for the third-fastest time of his career.

He beat a host of better-known fellow Kenyans, including Paul Kipsiele Koech, who was second in 8:10.53 and former Olympics and World champion, Brimin Kipruto who was third. In the women 800m, Sum executed a tactically perfect 800m and was in pole position with 120 metres to go and had enough speed in her legs to keep her rivals at bay, winning in 1:59.49.

Behind her, the Cuban teenage talent Sahily Diago showed good maturity in only her second European meeting – the first being the 2011 IAAF World Youth Championships – and held off plenty of more experienced runners to finish second in 2:00.01.

Having clocked a world-leading 1:57.74 on home soil in Havana just two weeks ago, the 18-year-old Diago could be one of the potential stars of the forthcoming IAAF World Junior Championships in Eugene next month.

Elsewhere, American Justin Gatlin outclassed the men’s 100-metre field at the as Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim continued to soar by beating Ukrainian world champion Bohdan Bondarenko in the men’s high jump. Gatlin, who served a four-year drugs ban from 2006 to 2010, clocked a winning time of 9.91secs to finish comfortably ahead of Jamaica’s Nesta Carter, while Britain’s Adam Gemili was third.
It was a repeat of last year’s success for Gatlin, who in 2013 edged Usain Bolt on the line to beat the Jamaican for the first time.

Barshim, meanwhile, had the sparse crowd at the Olympic Stadium on their feet with a string of strong performances before triumphing with a new personal best of 2.41m.

In doing so the 22-year-old — who took bronze at the London Olympics in 2012 and won silver at last year’s world championships in Moscow — matched the year’s best height set by Olympic champion Ivan Ukhov of Russia in Doha.

Read More