By Edith. O. Virginia President Uhuru Kenyatta has castigated the attack meted at ODM leader Raila Odinga while he attended the burial of prominent Uasin Gishu farmer Mzee Jackson Kibor at his home in Kabenes, Soy Constituency, Uasin Gishu County. During the incident, Odinga's chopper and motorcade were damaged by rowdy youth. Addressing worshippers at the AIC Church in Pipeline, Nairobi County, on Sunday, April 3, the Head of State noted that the incident was unfortunate, especially at a time when the country gears toward the August 9 general elections. President Kenyatta called upon politicians to lead by example and condemn incidents of violence in the country. [caption id="attachment_16222" align="alignnone" width="2048"] President Uhuru Kenyatta arrives at AIC Pipeline Church, in Nairobi County on Sunday, April 3, 2022. |Courtesy| PSCU|[/caption] "But most  importantly, especially for us political leaders is  we behave in a manner that allows our people to live in peace and to go about their business regardless of who sits in which position "So ask ourselves, if you take a stone or a slasher to go and cut your friend instead of waiting for the next five years to elect your leader of choice, then you have lost direction," he stated. "Elections come and go. Sometimes people behave like elections is a matter of life and death, we have had it every five years since independence from the colonizers and even this one will come and we shall have another in five years. "Because the decision as to whom shall lead from MCA to the president, as much as it is our responsibility as citizens, it is also God's will because he speaks through us," he noted. Kapseret Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi and his Soy counterpart Caleb Kositany have since been summoned by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over allegedly sponsoring the attack against Odinga. Yesterday, 14 individuals were arrested in connection to the incident. They will be arraigned in court on Monday, April 4. In a statement on April 1, Odinga pointed an accusing finger at Kositany and Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago for the attack melted against him and his camp. The ODM leader called upon them to condemn and investigate the incident, “For today’s unfortunate events, I hold Uasin Gishu governor Jackson Mandagor and Soy MP. Hon. Caleb Kositany responsible,” he said.

“I call on the two, and all leaders from the region who believe in our constitution, to come out now, not later, condemn the incident and promise an end to the bizarre attempts to balkanize the country into ethnic and tribal party zones ahead of August election. “Despite the violence meted out on me and my team today, I remain optimistic that Kenya will hold peaceful, free and fair election in August,” Odinga stated. The former premier noted that the attack against him should worry every Kenyan keen to protect the freedom of speech, association and multipartysm that the country fought hard and long to get. “The threat came in the form of youth; mobilized, armed and paid to cause mayhem and disorder, destroy property and even take away lives in a bid to create political zones in the country. “In the event that took place at Kabenes in Uasin Gishu, youth attacked my plane, destroying the air shield with rocks that were clearly aimed at me. On my way to the plane, they had pelted my vehicles with stones. My mistake was to attend the burial of my long time friend Mr Jackson Kibor. I thank the security officers who did everything to ensure our safety,” Odinga stated. The former premier noted that the attacks present a very dark reminder of what this country has witnessed before, particularly in the run-up to the 1992 elections and in the 2007-2008 polls. “In the run up to August, someone seems to be assembling a ragtag band of extremist youths, radicalized by lies and handouts to zone the country before pushing us into mayhem,” Odinga alleged. Governor Mandago and Kositany have since issued statements condemning the attack on Odinga and his team, calling upon law enforcement to investigate the matter and bring the culprits to book. “I condemn with the strongest terms possible the act of violence directed at the former Prime Minister Rt Hon Raila Odinga after the burial of Mzee Jackson Kibor. Uasin Gishu is a peaceful county, we will pursue the matter until the perpetrators are all brought to book. “We have heavily invested in peacebuilding as a region, we will not allow a few elements to take us back. I urge the security apparatus in the region to act with speed & get into the bottom of the matter. They should also be on the lookout during this charged political period,” Governor Mandago stated. “Sorry about the chopper incident, it’s quite unfortunate. It wasn’t planned, just learnt about it on Twitter,” Kositany apologised.