President Uhuru, Raila Clash Over 'Ancestral Land' Claims

President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga have sharply clashed over claims that the former Prime Minister told some communities to return to their ancestral lands.

Speaking in Bomet on Friday, the head of state criticized Raila, saying that he was inciting Kenyans to violence by taking the same path that resulted to 2007/08 post-elections violence.

“Yesterday (Thursday), he was talking about “wenye inchi and wenye wanafaa kurudi kwao” (those who own the land and those who should return to where they came from) and that is the same language he used to create conflict the last time,” said the President.

The head of state was speaking in refence to sentiments Raila Odinga made while on a campaign tour in Kajiado, insinuating that non-locals who had purchased land in the region should stay in their ‘ancestral land’. "...until now there is no land because of poverty...we want to change that so that people don't sell their parcels."

"Keep your land with you so that you don't cry foul later on...let the buyers remain at their places of origin," Raila said.

In a rejoinder, Raila accused the President of framing him up over the issue asking him to focus on addressing the issues hurting Kenyans.

“The President has, out of the blues, accused Odinga of asking communities to return to their ancestral lands. Odinga has made no such utterances,” Raila said through his aide, Dennis Onyango.

“Show him that he cannot take us back to where we came from,” President who was accompanied by his Deputy William Ruto, told Bomet Residents at the Green stadium.