Storm After UDA MPs Call For Arrest Of Raila & Uhuru

Members of Parliament (MP) allied to the Azimio la Umoja coalition were rattled on Tuesday, March 21 over the Kenya Kwanza Coalition's sudden appeal to have Azimio La Umoja Leader Raila Odinga arrested.

Barely hours after the end of Monday, March 20, mass action against President William Ruto's government, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah while addressing the media urged the police to review the evidence and charge Raila and his sponsors. 

According to Ichung'wah, the Azimio la Umoja party should be held accountable for the damage and theft of goods. He reiterated the pressuring calls by the constituents of UDA MPs to ensure the government addresses the disruption caused by the protests, even if it meant arresting the former Prime Minister as well as former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

National Assembly majority leader, Kimani Ichung'wah. /FILE

"We ask the IG of Police not just to arrest the small boys who are paid to riot. If the buck stops at the door of Odinga, go for Odinga. If the buck stops at his sponsor's door, go for them," Ichung'wah noted.

The MPs claimed that Raila and his Azimio brigade broke the law by declaring an illegal public holiday and that Uhuru was sponsoring the chaos to escape ongoing investigations into finances looted during his regime. 

"Uhuru Kenyatta and his handshake brother Raila Odinga are planning the demonstrations to derail ongoing investigations on the crimes committed under the previous regime.

"What Raila is doing is only equivalent to what the bandits parts of North Rift are doing. Mr Odinga is involved in a scheme of urban banditry and he must be held to account," Ichung'wah stated. 

The coalition lamented that Azimio will continue to breach peace with unlawful acts in the upcoming protests without proper accountability, further warning the police IG of the consequences of failing to arrest the leaders, which include Kenyans taking it upon themselves to protect their property.

"The buck stops with Raila and his sponsors, and they must be held to account for the destructions that took place during the protest.

"How can Raila be above the law and the Constitution that he himself fought for? The Constitution that we are enjoying today in Kenya was brought by Raila Odinga, it was not brought by Rigathi Gachagua and companies.

"This Constitution was brought through the sweat and toil of Raila Odinga, who was jailed for nine good years so that Kenya can have democracy. You're accusing the same person of being above the law, how? If he wanted to be above the law, why would he bring a new Constitution?" he posed.

Embakasi East MP, Babu Owino on his part claimed that the country could plunge into chaos if the former Prime Minister is arrested.

“We have 4 arms of the government 1. Parliament 2. Executive 3. Judiciary 4. Raila Amollo Odinga. Harbouring an intention to arrest Baba will lead to the destruction of this country, and we are ready to start afresh,” he warned in a tweet.