Police confront ODM MPs- elect   James Orengo, Henry Kosgey and Omingo Magara as they attempted to enter Uhuru Park earlier today.

By JONATHAN KONUCHE and ODHIAMBO ORLALE

Nairobi, January 5, 2008 – The much hyped ODM rally at Uhuru Park failed to take off as armed police blocked its leaders from holding a meeting there and repulsed them with tear-gas.

Only three leaders dared the over 100 armed police and para-millitary officers to access the fortified historic grounds.

They were ODM chairman, Mr Henry Kosgey, treasurer, Mr Omingo Magara, and Ugenya MP-elect, Mr James Orengo, among others.

After the brief encounter, the three leaders fled on foot to Nairobi Serena Hotel, where they took refuge as the armed policemen were in hot pursuit.

None of their supporters were anywhere in sight having been kept at bay by the police on horse back and with guard dogs.

The chairman announced that the they will be keeping vigil at the park daily and wil hold a rally there next Tuesday to put pressure on the President to accept their demands.

Earlier, ODM said it would reject proposals to join a Government of National Unity and/or to have a vote recount of the presidential votes.  

Secretary general,   Prof Anyan’g Nyong’o said they were not interested in re-tallying of the votes as proposed by Attorney general Amos Wako, saying they had lost faith in the Electoral Commission of Kenya and its chairman, Mr Samuel Kivuitu.

The official announced that they were also demanding for an international mediator and a transitional Government for three months before a presidential election is held to resolve the disputed results of the presidential polls.

“If DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) could do it why not us?” Prof Nyong’o asked.

The proposal was among those given by Attorney general, Amos Wako, to President Kibaki and ODM leader, Mr Raila Odinga, to consider as means to resolve the current national crisis.

The secretary general said they were also demanding that an international mediator steps in to help resolve the crisis.

As he was speaking at Pentagon House in Kilimani area in Nairobi, Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa was holding a closed door meeting with President Kibaki, at Nairobi Serena Hotel, a stone’s throw from Uhuru Park, where the ODM rally had been expected to take place.

The South African Nobel Laureate met Mr Odinga on Thursday morning soon after arriving and held a two-hour meeting before making an appointment to meet President Kibaki.

ODM also turned down the AG’s proposal to the two parties to agree to have a re-count of all the presidential votes cast by most of the 14.2 million voters on December 27.

Prof Nyong’o said they had lost trust in the Electoral Commission of Kenya, chaired by Mr Samuel Kivuitu, and the judiciary, as far as election petitions were concerned.

The official said the ODM leader, Mr Raila Odinga, was not ready to file a petition in court to dispute the controversial results of the polls as announced by Mr Kivuitu, who has since admitted had there were some irregularities.

Addressing the local and international media at Pentagon House, in Nairobi, before proceeding to Uhuru Park, for the banned rally, Prof Nyongo said his party had no faith or trust in the judiciary   and accused some judges of being partisan.

Earlier, Mr Odinga, who is the Langata MP-elect, had held a closed door meeting with the German Ambassador, Mr Walter Linder, on the current crisis in the country which has left over 200 people killed and thousands displaced.

In the media briefing, Prof Nyong’o said the purpose of Mr Odinga’s meeting with the German envoy and a senior journalist from the European Union member state, was to show them the ODM position on how to resolve the current crisis that is threatening to split the country.

The ODM official said they were shocked to hear that the Government had rejected mediation efforts   by the chairman of the African Union, Mr John Kufour, who is also the President of Ghana.

Said Prof Nyong’o: “We want the AU chairman   and other international leaders to help us resolve this national crisis - the issue is about democracy and justice.”

The ODM blamed the crisis on the chairman of the Electoral Commission of Kenya, Mr Samuel Kivuitu, saying he had let Kenyans down during the tallying of the controversial presidential polls, by declaring President Kibaki the winner even as Mr Odinga and his party demanded verification.

The official said if their demands were not met by President Kibaki, than they would be forced to submit them to a mediator while going on with mass action.

“We plant to march until our demands are met,” Prof Nyong’o said before leaving for the controversial Uhuru Park rally.

Source: Daily Nation