Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Oburu Odinga, has denied claims linking him or the ODM party to the sponsorship of political violence witnessed in Homa Bay during the Linda Mwananchi rally.

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In a statement to the public on the 16th anniversary of the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution, Oburu called for investigations into the incident and the recent unrest in the county.

According to the Siaya senator, ODM does not support the hiring, training or funding of individuals to harm others, describing such acts as an infringement on Kenyans' constitutional right to move freely across the country.

"As we celebrate the 16th anniversary of the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution, I wish to state clearly that it is not true that I have never addressed this issue before. Therefore, I must conclude by strongly condemning the recent incident as I have done previously. Furthermore, I denounce the political violence in Homa Bay in the strongest terms possible, including all its patterns and manifestations," Oburu stated in a statement on Thursday, August 27.

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"As ODM, we do not condone goonism in any form, including but not limited to the hiring, training, and funding of individuals to harm others. Such acts infringe on the democratic right of citizens to travel freely across the country," he added.

His remarks come weeks after violence disrupted the Linda Mwananchi rally in Homa Bay , when Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna led the faction in a rally in the county.

The August 16 rally left at least four dead, several others injured, and properties worth millions lost.

Following the incident, Sifuna and other officials from the movement accused the ODM party, its leadership and county leaders of sponsoring and necessitating the attack.

However, Oburu has now refuted the claims, saying the party was not involved in the violence witnessed.

In his statement, the party leader called on the police to fast-track investigations into the matter, maintaining that ODM's position was that political differences should be addressed through democratic processes rather than intimidation or violence.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke