RAILA ODINGA MIGHT HAVE LIED TO MT KENYA

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has acused detractors of misinterpreting his statement on the allocation of revenue in the counties of Mandera and Kiambu.

Speaking on Tuesday in Nairobi when he met with the Eastleigh business community, Raila said all he did was compare the two counties on the basis of the one man, one shilling, one vote revenue allocation model.

“I said it’s not fair to the people of Kiambu and I also qualified and said that does not mean we deprive Mandera of its right and I said give Mandera its right but let Kiambu people also get their right.”

“That is exactly what I said and this has been misinterpreted by my detractors. And I want to tell them they will not succeed,” Raila said.

The former PM had made the statement when he addressed residents on his way from a church service in Kigumo, Murang’a County. He gave a comparison where a county will less population received more in allocation, compared to one with more people.

His statement raised protests from Northeastern leaders who claimed that Raila has always been against the devolution of resources that have been going to Northeastern counties.

“Hon Raila has consistently agitated and campaigned against the devolution money counties like Mandera and others in NFD and pastoralist counties get…his obsessive hatred is very disheartening,” lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi said in a tweet.

Former MP, Billow Kerrow termed Raila’s remarks cheap politics.

Raila on Sunday took his unity campaigns to Mt Kenya as he intensifies efforts to claw back Deputy President William Ruto’s perceived dominance of the region.

The former prime minister laid bare to faithful gathered in Kigumo, Murang’a county, his plans for the region should he ascend to the presidency.

The ODM leader said he had big plans to solve farmers woes in the tea, coffee, avocado, milk, among other sectors of the agricultural economy.

Raila was accompanied by ODM stalwarts Suna East MP Junet Mohamed, Kabondo Kasipul MP Eve Obara, Nairobi Woman MP Esther Passaris, among other leaders.

By The Star