Sunday July 23 2017

Nasa leaders address supporters at Baraza Park in Lamu on July 22, 2017. PHOTO | DENNIS KAVISU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Nasa has called for the lifting of the dusk-to-dawn curfew in Lamu, Tana River and Garissa counties, terming the move a Jubilee Governments strategy to steal votes in the coming elections.

Addressing hundreds of residents at the Mkunguni Square on Lamu Island on Saturday, Nasa presidential candidate Raila Odinga accused the Jubilee administration of failing to ensure peace and security in the three counties.

Mr Odinga said the curfew was unwarranted especially at a time when the country was heading to elections.

He stated that unless the Jubilee administration has ulterior motives with the curfew, he saw no reason that could stop it from lifting the curfew.

PEACE The opposition chief demanded that the government ensures there is peace in the three counties instead of enforcing the dusk-to-dawn curfew. He said the curfew was negatively affecting the residents of Lamu both economically and socially as their livelihoods solely depended on fishing.

Our fishermen have suffered for long since a curfew stops them from venturing out at night to fish.

This is very unfortunate. Lamu does not need a curfew. Let the curfew be lifted and the government protect people and their property.

Whatever it is that Jubilee plans to achieve with the curfew isnt genuine.

We want the curfew lifted immediately because we know it will also affect the voting pattern in the coming elections, said Mr Odinga.

He added; The government should strengthen the security apparatus instead of opting for curfews whenever security challenges arise.

His running mate and Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka claimed the Jubilee Government was planning to use the curfew to steal votes in the forthcoming elections.

He called on Lamu residents to vote out Jubilee in the forthcoming elections.

Mr Musyoka said Nasa will have the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) troops withdrawn from Somalia if it takes over power on August 8.

KDF has no business being in Somalia when the country itself is in dire need of security.

Look at the rampant insecurity that Jubilee has driven Kenya into. Nasa will ensure the troops are withdrawn from Somalia so that they can concentrate on guarding our borders, said Mr Musyoka.

Nasa co-principal Musalia Mudavadi said a Nasa government will also eliminate landlessness which, he added, had increased drastically during Jubilees tenure with rampant land grabbing reported in Lamu county where a lot of land is till listed as public, making it easy for grabbers to illegally acquire through dubious means.

Mr Mudavadi urged residents to vote for a government that supports cheap and affordable education, referring to Nasa.

Bungoma senator Moses Wetangula said a Nasa government will ensure the construction of the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (Lapsset) Corridor project is fast-tracked.

He also said they would set up an industrial park in Lamu to ensure adequate employment for the youth.

LAPSSET PROJECT Mr Wetangula also said Nasa will ensure the county government gets a say in the running of the Lapsset project.

The Jubilee Government is moving the Lapsset project at a very slow pace. Jubilee has done nothing so far but makes our people suffer and has increased joblessness. Nasa shall change all that. We want Lamu to be an economic zone so that people in Shanghai, China, can come to shop here, said Mr Wetangula.

Earlier, while addressing residents of Tana River County at the Hola stadium, Mr Odinga termed August 8 as Kenyas liberation day.

Mr Odinga accused the Jubilee Government of mismanaging the economy, leading to a rise in the cost of basic commodities.

At Galana/Kulalu, they misused Sh17 billion and got only 30,000 bags of maize, that is their way, he said.

He reiterated that Nasa will have parallel tallying centres to compare with results from the electoral commission to make sure no vote is stolen.

We will make sure there is no curfew on voting day and you must stay at polling stations to guard your votes, he said.

Raila released a list of officers he claimed were being deployed to IEBC.

Acting Interior minister has ordered officers to flush out any person who is not an agent from

Raila released a list of officers he claimed were being deployed to IEBC.

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Nasa wants curfew in Lamu, Tana River and Garissa lifted - Daily Nation