He said Kenyans must accept that the country has achieved a lot in its democratic gains further urging that citizens exercise tolerance.
“We will not organize any gangs or thugs to disrupt rallies. If you don’t want to listen to someone then don’t go to where they are going to speak.”
He further dismissed the notion that he hates the Kikuyu community adding that tribalism agenda is a product of elitists’ quest to divide citizens along ethnic lines.
“The other time [2002] I said Kibaki Tosha and I knew he is a Kikuyu. They say Raila does not like Kikuyus but where do they get that from? Most of my friends are Kikuyus,” the NASA boss said.
Raila said the incidents should not be treated as an act of rejection, further stating that dissident voices equally have a right to be heard.
“Even if you disagree with somebody, you should listen to what they have to say. We are telling Kenyans that in a democracy, there is what is called right to be heard,” he said in an interview with NTV on Thursday.
The ODM leader announced that he will on Friday launch a book outlining his development agenda for Kenyans in the event he wins the August 8 general election.
He says the book titled, ‘The Quest for change’ dwells more on steps to address challenges faced by the Kenyan youth.
The ODM leader, in an interview with NTV on Thursday, said the book attempts to define development in the Kenyan context and why the country has not reached the level of its age mates such as South Korea.
In 1976, Kenya was at the same level as the Asian country in terms of their gross domestic product index.
“The book looks at development, why we have not achieved it as a country. It explores the Kenyan dream of entrenching the philosophy of ‘Justice shall be our shield and defender’.”
The opposition leader said the book is a simplified version of his dream for the country and how it can be propelled to greater heights through ‘proper governance’.
On matters politics, Raila said he is ready to concede defeat in the forthcoming polls as long as that the exercise will be free, fair and credible.
“Life does not end with Raila Odinga…Raila Odinga is not Kenya.”
He said the electoral commission is yet to do enough to convince his team that the election will be free from the challenges that have in the past cast a pale shadow on the body’s credibility.
“At the moment, IEBC is yet to inspire our confidence that the exercise will be above board. We have challenges of ballot papers, flaws in the data captured in the voter registers among many other issues they should address,” Raila said.
He said that his coalition is working towards stopping attempts to rig the forthcoming election citing instances of vote buying, purchase of ID cards among other malpractices.
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