By Anderson Ojwang
In his uncharacteristic manner, Siaya Senator Dr Oburu Odinga opened and poured out his heart on the betrayal of the Lake by the Mountain in the last Presidential election.
Speaking in Meru County at a burial, before his younger brother, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Oburu did not mince his word when he talked about the betrayal by Mountain in the last presidential election and why he doesn’t regret being in the broad based government with President William Ruto.
Oburu said Raila made huge sacrifices to then President Uhuru Kenyatta in the hope that Mt Kenya would reciprocate by supporting his presidential ambition, but that went nought.
“ As things stand, we are in this government called a broad-based government. I am a member of a broad-based government. Martha Karua has told me she is very far from a broad-based government. It is ok. Because we are friends, that doesn’t spoil the friendship. Because we might be there and there, but tomorrow we are together.
So politics is like that, but I want to say that our country must remain united. Raila is very big-hearted. You know, for five years, Raila supported Uhuru Kenyatta without asking Uhuru to give him ministers, to give him anything, because he wanted to bring the Mountain closer to us.
The government you supported, Raila, gave you unconditional support. And we were expecting that when Raila now stands for presidential candidate, the Mountain was going to come and give Raila a reciprocal treatment.
But as things stood out and as fate had it, that did not happen. And, Uhuru Kenyatta warned you people and told you that you would cry.
Now, when you are crying, you want Raila to come and rescue you. How does he do it? So we are in a broad-based government and we don’t regret.
What we want to do is to have our country united and peaceful. Let us continue. Elections will come and go. When those elections come, people will decide who to lead, but for now, we must be stable and we must stabilize the government of the day.
For instance, in Kirinyaga county, the home turf of Raila’s running mate Martha Karu, Ruto got 84 percent of the votes, accounting for 220,752 votes, while Raila got a paltry 14 percent, accounting for 37,978 of votes
In Kiambu county, the home ground of President Uhuru, Ruto managed 72.9 percent of the votes, amounting to 606,105 votes, while Raila only managed 25 percent, accounting for 210,495
Again in Nyeri county, Raith’s village, Ruto received 82.79 percent of the votes, amounting to 272,577 of the votes, while Raila got 15.3 percent, accounting for 52,043 votes.
Finally, in Muranga, Ruto got 81 percent of the votes, accounting for 343,421, while Raila got a paltry 17 percent that accounting for 73,539 votes.
Raila’s running mate Martha Karua acknowledged hostility to the candidature in the Mountain but added that it later thawed down.
People sometimes converge and also disagree, and when you agree to disagree, it is ok. Last season, I campaigned with Baba, and I helped enter the mountain amidst great hostility.
But after five days of braving that hostility, it calmed down, and we were able to campaign in the region. Because politics is not for the faint-hearted.
I want to agree also, it is the right of those who feel that broad-based is the way to go. It is also our right to be in the opposition, and that is why I firmly remain in the opposition and with the people,” she said.
Former Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria, once a critic of Raila ahead of the 2022 election, said it was time to slay the dragon of tribalism and unite the nation.
“ I want to say this specifically to my friend, former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga, a lot has been said about his stand on contemporary politics of this country. When I became a minister, way before the broad-based government. I sensed something was wrong with this country, and the center can no longer hold, and we can no longer continue with the politics of division, balkanization, and antagonism.
Let me correct you a bit, my senior, Youth leader, you have talked about the people of the Mountain. Let me tell you something, Raila did not come to a broad-based government to save the people from this region, but to save this country. And that is a whole difference.
When we had problems with Gen Z and you know what happened, He had two options and it was his right to choose any. He would have burnt the country but opted to save the country.
I want to assure you personally, wherever you go, I will go with you to unite the country.
You know what, Senator Oburu, previously, I was a champion of tribalism. I got saved. Every angel has a past, and every sinner has a future. That is why I want to wonder and ask, I have listened to my Sister Martha Karua, they will condemn the ills of the government, but let us not return the country to tribal divisions.
When I see Karua with those other leaders championing tribalism in Kenya, I say every sinner has a future,” he said.
Rarieda MP Otiende Amolo said in politics there is convergence and divergence, and this should not result in violence but peaceful co-existence.
“When we converge, understand us. When we diverge in understanding, we will also understand you. All that we ask is for the church to pray for us that in our convergence and divergence, let it not result in violence,” he said.
