The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is calling on leaders allied to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to refrain from bringing former Prime Minister Raila Odinga into the ongoing impeachment debate.
The party insists that Raila has no role in the current political predicament facing the Deputy President, and his supporters should desist from invoking his name.
“That war (impeachment) is not our war as a party. We don’t know the agreements you entered into behind the scenes; we know nothing about them and why you want to involve us in a war that is not ours, sielewi,”
“I want to encourage you to refrain, desist, and depart from attaching Raila Amolo Odinga to this issue. I will whip our members to support the impeachment. If they want us to retreat, let them come out publicly and apologize for attacking Raila,” said Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo.
Hon. Odhiambo, who is also the Minority Whip at the National Assembly, indicated that the party had not taken an official position on the impeachment of the Deputy President, arguing that it was purely a ruling party affair.
“As ODM, we did not take any party position on the impeachment of the Deputy President. Our brothers and sisters told us ‘musiguse murima’ and we agreed. But there is an unwritten rule that we don’t ‘gusa it’ (murima) if you don’t ‘gusa’ Raila Odinga,” remarked Ms. Odhiambo.
The outspoken lawmaker, however, stated that the decision by some leaders allied to the Deputy President to accuse Raila of having a role in the impeachment did not sit well with the party. As a result, she says party stalwarts will support the motion to impeach the DP.
“I heard my dear friend Hon. Mary Wamaua (Maragua) attacking Raila Odinga over the ongoing war (impeachment). How Raila comes into this, we don’t understand, because the only focus of Raila is to gain the AU Chairmanship—unless they tell us whether the Deputy President wanted that position,”
“You told us ‘tusigise murima’ and we listened and respected your opinion. Lakini kama mnagusa Raila, sisi (ODM) tunagusa Murima. I didn’t sign that petition, but the moment Hon. Wamaua touched Raila, I looked for the list and have already signed it because tit for tat is a fair game,” Hon. Odhiambo charged.
Hon. Odhiambo challenged political leaders from the Mt Kenya region that “the time is gone when you could con your own backyard using Raila Amolo Odinga as a scarecrow. That you would say Raila this, Raila that, and get elected. It is now time for you to deliver on your mandate to be elected.”