Raila Odinga, the Orange Democratic Movement Party has seemingly abandoned President Uhuru Kenyatta at a time the Head of State needs his support.
As the president leads the fight against Coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19), Odinga has shied away from defending Kenyatta against attacks from ODM MPs, as Deputy President William Ruto and his camp are also tearing into Kenyatta from the other end.
However, analysts argue that Odinga is reportedly orchestrating a move to push Kenyatta into supporting his political agenda, in line with the famous March 2018 handshake, as his allies have picked the floods, Covid-19 pandemic and forceful Nairobi evictions as a point of focus for attacks.
In the Senate, Odinga’s most trusted ally, Siaya Senator James Orengo on Wednesday, May 6 accused Kenyatta of failure, as floods tore away Budalangi, Busia residents.
“When Kibaki was in power, he built many things, even in Budalang’i. As soon as Jubilee ascended to power, even the bridge the president was going to launch collapsed. Failure is the face of Jubilee. They must wake up,” Orengo ranted as ODM Chairman John Mbadi in Parliament, on the same day, reiterated that Jubilee had to wake up.
“The government must account for every money shilling by shilling, penny by penny. This country is known for people who enrich themselves through miseries. They are known and are in offices. These Covid-19 funds should be accounted for in this house. People are shamelessly discussing tea and mandazi worth Ksh4 million while people are dying out of hunger and Corona,” Suna East MP, Junet Mohamed added.
Ruto’s ally, Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika, also tore into Kenyatta, accusing him of mistreating Kenyans by evicting them at a time the country was facing a pandemic.
“When you find a government that’s illegally evicting 5,000 people at a time of a pandemic in a city that has so many cases of Covid-19 and during a rainy season, then you wonder: Who is making decisions and are they really using any common sense?” Kihika wondered.
University of Nairobi lecturer, Dr. Jane Thuo, states that she was baffled by ODM’s move to lash out at Kenyatta and argued that Odinga’s meeting with Ruto’s ally, Kapsaret MP Oscar Sudi was a significant occasion that should not be assumed in the new cold war between Odinga and Kenyatta.
“Politics is interesting as it is all about convenience and popularity. I believe something is going on behind the scenes and remember, alliances keep shifting. There are no real enemies in politics.
“Uhuru is keen on establishing his legacy and is not derailed by the issues being raised. For ODM, they are pushing for a political agenda. You cannot rule out a Ruto-Raila alliance as it is possible but still too soon to tell,” Thuo stated while speaking with a local news site.
Martin Andati, a political scientist also weighed in added that despite Oscar Sudi denying discussing politics with Odinga, the meeting aligned with ODM’s attack on Kenyatta.
“There is a problem and the two occasions are well coordinated. Raila is being impatient and reports allege that he wants Kenyatta to create a position for him in government, a chief secretary role,” Andati stated.
Odinga, on Friday, April 10, Odinga insisted that the Building Bridges Initiative was not dead and the Coronavirus (Covid-19) cannot stop it. He further told Kenyans to be prepared for a referendum after the pandemic.
“We are almost there, the report will be presented to the government for implementation before being taken Parliament to come up with a bill before subjecting it to a referendum,” Odinga stated.
