Babu Owino disputes Raila’s decision on bipartisan talks

Babu Owino calls out Raila for allegedly neglecting the youth in the team fronted for bipartisan talks to face the government. 

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga faced criticism from some Azimio parliamentarians hours after assembling a seven-member delegation on Thursday, April 6, to engage President William Ruto’s side in bipartisan talks. 

Led by Embakasi East Member of Parliament Paul Ongiri alias Babu Owino, Raila was criticized for allegedly abandoning the youth in the team that will face the government. 

In his argument, Babu Owino criticized the Azimio leader, contending that the youth should have been on the roster to speak with Kenya Kwanza’s side during the bipartisan negotiations.

The second-term legislator claimed that the youths had experienced police brutality during weekly rallies and needed to be included in the lineup to voice their concerns.

“A team has been set up to Represent Azimio in the Bipartisan talks.I wish them well. However, it would have been more effective and efficient if a youth was part of the team because it’s the youth who still at the forefront of the struggle,” Babu Owino stated.

Former Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko supported Babu Owino’s sentiments indicating that the MP was loyal to Raila even during the anti-government protests.

“It is not fair to leave Babu Owino out of the committee the way he has braced teargas to support you in protests. Be loyal Baba,” Sonko wrote.

Besides Babu Owino, Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai challenged Raila’s decision to pick a seven-member team to represent his side in bipartisan talks.

Alai noted that members of the county assembly would have advanced Azimio’s demands without being compromised.

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“It’s a team that might not work well for us. MCAs drove the resistance against impunity. MPs sold us off and were even bought in the National Assembly and Senate,” Alai stated.

Meanwhile, Azimio picked three senators and four Members of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the bipartisan parliamentary talks. 

They included Senators Ledama Olekina (Narok), Edwin Sifuna (Nairobi), Enoch Wambua (Kitui), and MPs David Kosing (Pokot South), Otiende Amollo (Rarieda), Millie Odhiambo (Suba North), and Amina Mnyanzi (Malindi).

In his list of demands, Raila directed President Ruto to lower living costs, open the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) servers, and reinstatement of dismissed commissioners led by Juliana Cherera, the former IEBC vice chairperson. 

Raila also directed Ruto to reconstitute the team seeking to appoint new IEBC commissioners.

Also read,

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