A strategic plan designed to ensure the country remains united ahead of next year’s polls has been unveiled by the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga. Mr Odinga said the initiative dubbed ‘Azimio la Umoja’, would address challenges that have been inflicting on the citizens ranging from political exclusion, polarizing electoral processes, insecurity, corruption and bad economy. “It is time we stopped profiling each other on the basis of age, social status, religion and ethnicity. Kenya is not ready for another circle of post-election violence,” he said.
At the same time the former Prime Minister has urged Leaders to fight for historically marginalized communities and desist from using poverty as a tool for political gain. Speaking in Nakuru the ODM leader lashed out at some political aspirants for allegedly exploiting challenges facing Kenyans to achieve political mileage instead of offering practical solutions. “It is clear the problems will go beyond 2022 if they are not identified and addressed today,” Odinga pointed out. He was accompanied by Governors Lee Kinyanjui, Anne Waiguru and Wycliffe Oparanya. Others present were Peter Kenneth, Rachel Shebesh, Edwin Sifuna, Junet Mohamed and Maina Kamanda.
According to Odinga, the 2022 roadmap provides a favorable environment for the realization of the Vision 2030 development plan and building a nation where all rights are respected despite their position. He added “When communities in a country are cohesive, small scale businesses in marketplaces thrive, the economy grows and jobs are created. We should be servant leaders and not lord it over citizens,”. Kenya, he said, could only maintain the progress made, build and share prosperity equitably and fight against corruption and impunity through unity. Mr Oparanya called for a conversation among
Kenyans to prepare for the 2022 General Election.
He said that there was a need for unity of purpose for the country to achieve meaningful socio-economic and political milestones. “As leaders, we feel that we need to have a dialogue within ourselves for the betterment of our communities and the country at large,” stated the Kakamega governor. Ms Waiguru lamented that for far too long, Kenyan politics has been defined by the greed of a few who leave the rest in misery. She noted it was time for the political class and the ordinary folk to take a new approach to the way they do business in this critical period.
She suggested that the candidates angling to take the position of President should be grilled on their agenda for the country. “Voters should ask the hard questions and they should dig up facts on the candidates. The media can play a role to illuminate the scene, it should help the voters to make an informed choice.
The coming elections should not be about a candidate’s ability to marshal the support of his or her tribe or clan, but rather on their suitability for office,” noted Ms Waiguru