PARLIAMENT REVEALS PLAN TO IMMORTALIZE RAILA ODINGA

Kangema Member of Parliament Muturi Kigano has suggested way to immortalize Raila Odinga to Kenyan history. This will be through renaming Mbagathi Road after the ODM leader and four times presidential aspirant.

Muturi beseeched parliament to do so when he stood on the floor of the August House to contribute to an almost similar petition that looks at renaming Karura Forest after Nobel Laurette Wangari Maathai.

Mbagathi was not chosen out of whims or thin air but Muturi gave his reasons. He said that since Raila had been an MP for Langata for many years, he is responsible for what Mbagathi has become over the years.

He was not a lone ranger in suggesting the changes as his submission was quickly supported by Narok North MP Moitalele Kenta.

The renaming might be less raucous like that of COTU boss Francis Atwoli. Renaming of DikDik road to Atwoli Road sparked protests with the signage being vandalized twice. Many influential persons opposed the move. Led by Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi, Boniface Mwangi and Blogger Alai, they said that Atwoli had done nothing for the country to get that honour.

“Total disgrace to name a street in Nairobi after Atwoli. What are we telling poor workers he abandoned for the sake of my beloved Jubilee?

“He is a billionaire in a country where labour is enslaved by capital owners. He dines and wines with the rich and powerful,” protested prominent lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi.

Alai on his part said that Atwoli should not force himself onto Kenyans. He even offered to pay bloggers who are apparently on Atwoli’s side to cross border starting with self proclaimed youth leader Gaucho.

On her part Kananu defended renaming the road after COTU boss.

“This road has been renamed after my good friend and brother, Francis Atwoli, in recognition of his selfless contribution and agitating for the rights of Kenyan workers in the last 54 years,” Kananu said.