Kenyan opposition leader says Mugabe a disgrace

By Lance Guma
13 March 2008

Kenyan opposition leader, Raila Odinga, has said Robert Mugabe is a disgrace to the African continent and that, ‘time has really come for him to try to move on and let other people govern.’ In a recent interview with the Mail and Guardian newspaper Odinga said he had little regard for Mugabe despite the fact the Zanu PF leader was once his hero. ‘We parted ways once he began to use a big stick to deal with his political adversaries,’ Odinga explained. ‘I don’t think its right for someone to hold a country hostage for generations. I think it is not right for Africa.’

The Orange Democratic Movement led by Odinga, recently signed a deal with President Mwai Kibaki’s party to end months of ethnic violence that killed over 1500 people. Allegations that elections held in late December last year were rigged in favour of Kibaki created the tensions that led to the bloodbath. Although Zimbabwe is thought to be an unlikely ground for such ethnic fighting, concern remains over how the population would react to another stolen election.