CS Duale calls out Raila over his secession remarks

Garissa, Sunday May 28, 2023

KNA by Erick Kyalo

Defence Cabinet secretary Aden Duale on Saturday criticised opposition leader Raila Odinga over his secession remarks.

Azimio leaders who converged for prayers at Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka's Yatta farm in Machakos County, declared they will on Tuesday next week launch a collection of signatures from Kenyans dissatisfied with President William Ruto’s leadership style to petition the United Nation into splitting the country into two republics.

Mr Odinga said that the Kenya kwanza administration had failed to deal with the issues they had raised and that it was time to pursue self-determination.

But speaking in Masalani town Ijara in Garissa County, Duale scoffed at Odinga accusing him of always wanting to destabilise the government of the day whenever he loses elections.

“I want to tell Raila Odinga that you went to the election to aspire to be the next president of the republic of Kenya and to be the commander of armed forces. It is very irresponsible for leaders of your stature to stand on a podium and call for secession and division of our country. It is very unfortunate, I did not think you can go to that level," Duale said.

Duale revisited the 2017 incident where Odinga swore himself as the people's president saying president Ruto will not give in to the opposition leader’s tactics and intimidations to be accommodated in government.

According to Duale, issues like lowering the cost of living which the opposition have been advancing has been dealt with by the Kenya kwanza government noting that he has since changed goal posts and was now calling for secession.

"He started with the issue of the soaring prices of commodities which the government has dealt with. Then he brought in the issue of opening the servers and he was told that there are no commissioners. All these games Raila and his team are playing are well known to us and he won't succeed this time round,” he said.

"The constitution article 1 under the preamble of the constitution of Kenya talks about a unitary state called Kenya and 47 county units. Mr Odinga please go back to the preamble of the constitution," he added.

On the issue of re-opening the borders, Duale said the issue was being actively handled at the highest level in government, disclosing that once everything has been put in place, the borders will be opened with specific areas where goods will be passing through.

He was however quick to warn those with intentions of using 'panya routes' to smuggle in goods that the government will treat them as criminals.

Courtesy ; K. N. A