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Eight women MPs allied to Deputy President William Ruto going by the sobriquet Inua Mama yesterday asked Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga to apologise to Kenyans over the violence witnessed during the Kibra by- election last Thursday.

The legislators also want the Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai to order for the arrest of  MPs Junet Mohamed (Suna East), Simba Arati (Dagorreti North) and George Aladwa (Makadara) for allegedly fanning the violence.

They also claimed ODM was using the March 9, 2018, Handshake and the expected Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report to encourage violence on the understanding that its functionaries are protected by certain individuals in government.

At a news conference at Parliament Buildings, the women lawmakers said that they would not stop supporting Ruto despite the various attacks they have been getting from various leaders.

Respect the unborn

 They regretted that despite the incident, police are yet to arrest any of the leaders yet it is clear that they attacked not only ordinary Kenyans but also MPs from Jubilee Party who were agents of Jubilee candidate McDonald Mariga in the by-election.

The MPs were: Alice Wahome (Kandara), Catherine Waruguru (Laikipia), Wangui Ngirichi (Kirinyaga), Rehema Dida Jaldesa(Isiolo), Liza Chelule (Nakuru), Mary Seneta (Nominated senator), and Beatrice Kones (Bomet East).

They claimed that the said leaders have no respect for the living or for the unborn as they attacked Garissa county MP  Anab Subow who is eight months pregnant.

Said Waruguru: “But it is the sadism exhibited by Junet that begs the question whether he has respect for women or not. He has categorically stated that what Gure went through is characteristic of greetings from the bedroom.”

National unity

It is to all the victims of this brutality that Raila must apologise to. But what he and his ODM allies must know is that national unity and peace are not negotiable,” she added. 

Wahome said there is no need for any investigations as the violence meted against them was open and aired live on the mainstream media. She said it was wrong for any person to attack a pregnant woman who was doing her job and thus was categorical that she is not apologetic for any remarks she has made against Raila.

Subow was on the receiving end from Kenyans on Sunday after a video of her attacking Raila went viral.

“What kind of a Muslim leader is Junet, did he even go to Madarassa for him to attack a pregnant woman. Shame on him,” she said.

Ngirichi who is the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association chairperson said if the Handshake is advocating for violence, then they will oppose it in totality.