Raila Odinga has termed as desperate President Uhuru Kenyatta’s claim that he is largely to blame for the 2007/08 post election violence.
Uhuru accused the ODM leader of being at the centre of violence following the 2007 general elections.
The violence that followed a disputed poll left at least 1,300 dead and more than 600,000 homeless.
"Raila has again started inciting Kenyans as he did in 2007 thus framing DP William Ruto. Yeye ndiyo aliwasha moto (He is the one who ignited the fire," Uhuru said.
He made the remarks Wednesday during his tour of the larger Gusii region where he also blamed the former prime minister of stagnating the country.
But Raila said Uhuru’s "desperation" is understandable as he is looking for "something to hang on to re-energise his depressed 2013 voting bloc".
“We however advise the President to look around his entourage as he visits Kisii and also look into the mirror if he is interested in the truth on the 2007/2008 violence,” Raila said.
Raila said the real culprits who have stagnated the country’s development are individuals who corruptly acquired public resources, some of whom he said have close family ties with the president.
“The President needs to look no further than the empire his family and associates assembled corruptly if he is keen to understand why Kenya stagnated while the Republic of South Korea moved forward.
“In the ill-acquired wealth of the family and associates lies Kenya’s lost years,” Raila said.
The opposition chief told the President to stop shifting blame on the post election violence.
He said Uhuru should instead focus on addressing the plight of post election violence victims some of whom are yet to be compensated.
Raila cited a case of a widow in Kisii who had only her husband’s skull to bury as a result of the violence that threatened the stability of the country in the aftermath of the disputed election results.
Read:
“We hope he has had time to ask whether she has been at his rallies and if she believes his story,” Raila said in a statement.
Raila further stated that the people of Gusii needed no public lecture on the development transformation of the country.
He added that they also do not need anyone to point out for them who the high priests of corruption in the country are.
“They are only too aware,” Raila said.