David Ohito
8 May 2008
Nairobi — Prime Minister Raila Odinga insists the Government should speak to the outlawed Mungiki sect to understand their grievances.
Raila said the talks have been going on and assured the sect followers that the Government was keen to listen to them.
"When there is conflict, we can only reach people through dialogue and we will do so with Mungiki," the PM said.
He added: "They are alleging historical injustices meted out on them and we must give them a chance to air their grievances."
Raila, however, declined to push for the release of the jailed sect leader, Maina Njenga, arguing he does not have such powers.
Raila made the first attempt to reach out to the proscribed sect on the day he was sworn-in as the PM.
"I cannot speak on the release of Maina but we want them to table their grievances and seek solutions," Raila said at a press conference in his Treasury office, on Wednesday.
He said the Government should treat the sect seriously, and gave the example of the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda, which began as a small militia but later snowballed into a guerrilla outfit.
Raila was speaking after meeting Unep Executive Director, Mr Achim Steiner over environmental and security concerns.
He said the diplomatic community had expressed serious concerns over insecurity.
The PM also met the UN World Tourism Organisation secretary-general, Mr Francesco Frangiali, who promised to help market Kenya's image internationally.
Meanwhile, the Government will soon release a policy document detailing the functions of the PM.
Raila allayed fears of conflict of interest and duplication of duties of his office and those of the 40 ministries.
"The system works in many countries and there is a policy document which will clarify duties of my office," he said.
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chokora either you dont live in kenya or you are ignorant of what is happening on the ground. This mungiki thing is a threat to Kikuyus more than anyone else. There is no mungiki in meru or embu. It is concetrated in muranga, kiambu and nyandarua.
"Raila Odinga insists the Government should speak to the outlawed Mungiki sect to understand their grievances."
"INSISTS"! What Mr. Odinga does not understand is that this Mungiki is a terrorist organization that has commandeered property as well as raped, killed and mutilated in the name of GEMA supremacy. Does Raila wish to take an night oath and join them - to kill non-GEMA Kenyans? Was that the condition for joining ranks in plunder with Mungiki's Kibaki? Is that why the Kenyans voted for the ODM and died by the thousands? Aren't there more patriotic cauises for Odinga to pursue - like finding out what happened to the innocent Kenyans rendered by Mungiki's Kibaki to foreign lands for torture and death?
This Raila becomes not only irrelevant by the day, but downright risky with respect to the security and safety of Kenyans