By The Kenyan police on Friday informed that Raila Odinga, the NASA political party leader would be arrested and charged with reason if he attempts to swear in, as he plans.
Raila Odinga, the opposition member who said will never accept and recognize Uhuru Kenyatta, as the President of Kenya, earlier declared that he would be sworn in on 12 December, 2017, declaring himself the People’s President, as the country will be celebrating Jumhuri day.
Sources at Vigilance House said police will abide by the advice of Attorney General Githu Muigai on the matter, who said this would be treason and that the punishment is death.
According to the sources, Raila will hold a NASA meeting on the 12, and that’s when he will swear in after.
The police have however informed that if Mr. Odinga wishes to hold a meeting, then it should be within the law but if he chooses to do against the law by having himself sworn in as the President of the State, then he will be arrested and charged.
‘The police will not disrupt Raila’s meeting but we cannot allow what is unlawful. So what matters is for his meeting to be lawful…if it is a lawful meeting we will have no problem. We only take action in accordance with the law,’ Charles Owino, the Kenya Police spokesperson said.
‘Police enforce laws and regulations of the land. We respect Kenyans and what they do but if you commit an offence, we have to act within the law. If the law dictates that you have to be arrested then our hands are tied – we have to act within the law.’
‘Our duty is only to watch and see if he carries out the activity of being sworn-in. If he does, we will follow the law. If the law says he be charged for treason, then we can only arrest and charge him and leave the rest to courts. He is not above the law. If he does what is right, we will have no problem,’ clarified a senior officer at the police.
In a meeting with a US envoy on Thursday, Raila Odinga informed them that the country [Kenya] and its citizens can solve their own problems and need not be told to abide by the constitution. Therefore, he advised the US to stay out of their issues.
The US envoy had been sent to convince Mr. Odinga not to do anything out of the country’s Constitution.
‘Let them charge me for treason. I am ready,’ Mr. Odinga told the envoys led by US Ambassador Robert Godec.
Odinga added that if being charged with treason will be the only way to get justice in Kenya, so be it.
Reporter: Shamilah Namuddu