PH
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has said Deputy President William Ruto used Mau forest propaganda to deny him the Kalenjin vote when he was the Prime Minister in the grand coalition.
Raila said the DP turned the government’s decision in the conservation of all the water towers into a political scheme to portray him in a bad light in the community before the last general election.
Speaking during the burial ceremony of Zipporah Lemein, the wife of former Narok First Senator Philiph Lemein at Lenana area near Narok town on Tuesday, Raila said he did not regret spearheading the rehabilitation of the forest.
The Cord leader was accompanied by Suna East MP, Junet Mohammed and his Kitutu Masaba counterpart Timothy Bosire.
“I was fought hard because of my stand to implement the government’s decision to conserve all water towers in the country. That propaganda made me to lose some votes from the Rift valley and I had vowed to fight for rehabilitation of Mau even if it meant not getting votes in this region,” said Raila.
He thanked the Maasai community for standing with him in the rehabilitation of Mau forest adding that Mau forest should be conserved at all cost because millions of people depend on it.
“It was sad that the conservation of the forest were orchestrated by those who later became my main opponents and started moving around the country saying that I was responsible for the eviction of people,” said Raila.
The opposition leader said as leaders, they needed to be honest and tell Kenyans the truth instead of spreading cheap propaganda that cannot change the country.
He said the massive destruction of the Mau forest has led to the frequent flooding reported at Narok town and the subsequent destruction of property and lives.
Raila said that his same rivals also opposed the Ntutu land commission report which recommended a clear cut line to separate the people’s land and government forest.
He called for the adoption and implementation of the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission recommendations which he said will address the historical injustices made to Kenyans including the Maasai community whom he said have suffered the most.
