Nasa CEO contradicts Raila on Thursday demos
Nasa CEO Norman Magaya has thrown spanner in the works by contradicting his boss Raila Odinga on the fate of demonstrations on Thursday.
Mr Odinga was quoted on BBC saying he had not called on his supporters to demonstrate on Thursday, the date set for the repeat of the presidential election.
“We have not told people to demonstrate on the polling day. We have not said that at all,” Mr Odinga said on Tuesday in an interview with the BBC.
“We have told people to stay away.”
But Mr Magaya said his party leader was misquoted.
Contrary to media misinformation & distortion of the interview by @RailaOdinga, NASA demos set for 26.10.17 2 will proceed as announced.
— Norman Magaya (@amugira) October 24, 2017
In the BBC interview, Mr Odinga termed as an attempt to intimidate Kenyans, and which he said must be responded to, the recent cases of Jubilee politicians wearing military jungle uniforms and red berets.
“Jubilee supporters are running around with military fatigue. They are trying to militarise politics in our country. You find even women politicians wearing the military jungle fatigues, basically intimidating the electorate,” he said.
In those situations, he said, his supporters were justified in “resisting militarisation and intimidation of the public.”
Questioned on his hardline stance that his supporters had a right to resist the move, Mr Odinga said that right was enshrined in the Constitution.
“What we have told our supporters is to do peaceful demonstrations, carrying a placard and which is carrying the message, and with a white handkerchief, say that: No Reforms, No Elections,” the opposition chief said.
Listen to the audio:
Kenya's opposition leader, Raila Odinga: we are not calling people onto the streets to protest against Thursday's election re-run. pic.twitter.com/1DFOeLtWgR
— BBC News Africa (@BBCAfrica) October 24, 2017