RAILA EXPLAINS WHY HE WILL NOT GO TO MT KENYA

Orange party leader Raila Odinga and delegates from the Luo Council of Elders have cancelled a planned Saturday meeting in Nyeri county due to Covid-19.

Speaking to the Star on Friday, Kikuyu Council of Elders national chairman Wachira Wakiago, who was to host them (elders), said the committee that was mandated to organise the meeting decided to postpone the meeting to a later date to be communicated.

He said the meeting was to host more than 150 elders from the Nyanza region, however, many have not been vaccinated.

“The meeting with Mr Odinga and his delegation from Nyanza region has been cancelled, we thought the meeting would interfere with government directives on the fight against Covid-19,” Wachira said.

He noted that once the government allows mass gatherings, a new date for the meeting will be scheduled.

Wachira denied that the meeting in Nyeri was to endorse Raila, adding it was to cement unity between the two communities.

He said there has been a misunderstanding between the two communities and the elders thought it wise to unite ahead of 2022.

“The cancelled meeting had nothing to do with politics of Mount Kenya but it was to preach peace and unity,” Wachira said.

He revealed that the meeting in Nyeri was a receprocation after Raila  hosted the Kikuyu Council of Elders in Bondo on October 10 last year.

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s cousin, Captain Kungu Muigai, who is a patron for the Kenya National Council of Elders, had termed Raila’s visit to Nyeri personal.

He had said Wachira’s group isn’t allowed to speak on behalf of the people of Mt Kenya.

“Raila Odinga is our leader and besides that, he has a democratic right to visit every part of the country,” Kung’u said.

In an interview on Friday with Gukena FM and other Kikuyu stations, Raila stated that he is willing to work with leaders from the Mt Kenya region, even if it means getting a running mate from the area.

Raila stated that ‘Raila-phobia’ should be a thing of the past because he closely worked with former President Mwai Kibaki.

“Some people created Raila-phobia in Mount Kenya region and they claimed I’m very dangerous and this should be the thing of past, I worked and campaigned for former President Mwai Kibaki,” he said.

On his differences with a section of leaders from Central, Raila said there is nothing personal, terming it politics.

By The Star

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