Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has lashed out at former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua , describing him as a tribal bigot who cannot lead the country in the right direction.
Mr Odinga dismissed the ‘Wantam’ slogan — to mean one term —promoted by Mr Gachagua as a rallying call to vote out President William Ruto in 2027, saying he (Mr Odinga) understands where he is headed politically.
He also reiterated that he can never work with the former Deputy President and castigated his call to work together.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and ODM leader Raila Odinga at the Mombasa International Airport on September 16, 2022.
Photo credit: Courtesy | Rigathi Gachagua's Facebook page
The ODM party leader was speaking at Makasembo Secondary School in Rarieda Sub-county, where he presided over a funds drive a few hours after Mr Gachagua asked the country to vote President William Ruto out in 2027, making him a ‘one-term’ president.
“You can never direct us on which political direction to take. You keep telling us about ‘Wantam’ as if we don’t understand our politics. We know where we are headed and we don’t need the former Deputy President to show us any direction,” he said.
He described Mr Gachagua as a leader who champions negative ethnicity and can never take the country in the right direction.
“How can I work with a leader who describes the government as a company where people own shares—some with more, others with few, and others with none?” posed Mr Odinga.
“He once said that if he found people lining up at State House, he would remove those who didn’t vote for the government and leave only those who did,” he went on.
Meanwhile, speaking separately, Mr Odinga’s allies maintained that they would not participate in the countrywide protests, saying they had done enough for the country.
Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi lauded Kisumu residents for staying away from the recent protests.
“You did well on Wednesday, June 25, by refusing to join the demonstrations. It was evident that violence was expected in Kisumu. Our youth have taken to the streets for years—some have died; others have been injured. They are tired now,” he said.
“Let us appreciate Raila Odinga for choosing to work with the President. Their handshake has brought peace and tranquility,” he said.
He also applauded the impeachment of Mr Gachagua, terming it a wise and necessary move for national unity and progress.
“It was a wise decision by the government of the Republic of Kenya to impeach the former Deputy President, who had become a source of tribal division and confusion,” Mr Wandayi said.
Alego Usonga lawmaker Samuel Atandi echoed the Orange party boss while castigating the recent demonstrations that saw property destroyed and people injured.
“We have been known as people from Luo Nyanza for demonstrations. However, at no time have we burned a police station and vandalised property to that extent,” said Mr Atandi.
Leaders who sponsored the demos
“There are people who are not happy that people from the lake region are at the decision-making table. That is why they are trying as much as possible to topple the government of the President through the use of force,” claimed Mr Atandi.
He advised leaders whom he claimed sponsored the demonstrations to wait for Election Day and vote as the Constitution demands.
“President Ruto was elected to that seat democratically. You cannot remove him using force; he was elected and declared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). Some of us who were not satisfied with the process went to court, and the same court validated his victory,” added the National Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee Chair.
“President Ruto was elected, and his departure should also be through the ballot—not through the use of force, as some leaders want by using our youths,” the lawmaker pointed out.
The business community in Kisumu also lauded the youth from the county for maintaining peace and shunning demonstrations on Wednesday.
They stated that although business was a bit slow on the day of the protests, they were at least able to record sales, and the fact that their premises remained intact was something worth celebrating.
"Kisumu was very peaceful while the rest of the counties demonstrated. This is courtesy of the understanding we had with our youths. We talked to them, and they listened to us," said Shem Ochwodho, the chair of Kisumu Bus Park.
Earlier, governors including Kisumu’s Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o, Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay), and Kakamega’s Fernandes Barasa—whose counties have always suffered during the demos—lauded their residents for maintaining peace.
“I wish to thank the residents of Kisumu for maintaining peace today during the activities commemorating the first anniversary of the Gen Z protests. The streets in Kisumu and in other towns in our sub-counties remained relatively calm throughout the day,” said Governor Nyong’o.
This was the true situation on Wednesday, when a section of youth who had started their protests were disrupted by some goons. The calm was a total departure from a region that had been known for protests that called for justice for victims.
“The people of Kisumu will always be vigilant to protect and promote human rights in our republic. We will also express constructive dissent to any form of political oppression and abuse of human rights,” said Governor Nyong’o.
Reporting by Rushdie Oudia, Kassim Adinasi, Domnic Ombok and Judith Cherono
