• Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party leader Raila Odinga has threatened to file a lawsuit against President William Ruto for defamation
• The opposition chief said the president had been constantly tarnishing his name with allegations of the attempted coup in 1982 during the late President Daniel Moi’s era
• He maintained that he would not be cowed by the ruling government to call off the planned mass action
Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party leader Raila Odinga has threatened to file a lawsuit against President William Ruto for defamation.
Opposition leader, Raila Odinga. Photo, courtesy.
According to Citizen digital, the opposition chief said the president had been constantly tarnishing his name with allegations of the attempted coup in 1982 during the late President Daniel Moi’s era.
Odinga clarified that the government then, charged him and he was detained for six months but he was later released and the court cleared his name for lack of evidence.
“I was discharged from treason charges after the courts found out that there was no evidence linking me to the 1982 attempted coup. Ruto has spoiled my name and I am going to sue him for defamation,” said Raila.
“Nitakushtaki wewe (Ruto) kwa kuharibu jina langu. I was charged by the government with treason…I stayed in Kamiti for 6 months but they finally released me for lack of evidence in 1983.”
Consequently, Odinga maintained that he would not be cowed by the ruling government to call off the planned mass action.
“We cannot be intimidated by William Ruto and Rigathi Gachagua. I want to tell them that I fought for the second liberation in this country. The two cannot understand what I have gone through…I have been fighting for democracy and was put in detention for eight years when some of them were still breastfeeding,” he stated.
The remarks by the Azimio leader came a day after President Ruto warned him against holding the planned Azimio countrywide demonstrations on Monday next week.
The head of state told off Odinga saying he would not be allowed to “blackmail” the country as he also urged him to liaise with police over the planned demonstrations.
“Odinga has been holding bloody and chaotic demonstrations for the last 50 years; he needs to assure Kenyans that this will be different. This is why we’ve told Raila Odinga to sit down with police and explain to them how the demonstrations will be peaceful,” said President Ruto.
“Tunamwambia bwana Raila please, tupatie kaheshima kidogo. Hata sisi ni wakenya. Wewe sio Mkenya peke yako.”
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