Raila reveals why ODM members joined Ruto cabinet as he called for Bomas talks
Raila Odinga says ODM has set free its four members nominated by President William Ruto to his cabinet
Raila Odinga says ODM has set free its four members nominated by President William Ruto to his cabinet.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has detailed talks he had with President William Ruto over the nominations to the Cabinet.
Speaking in Siaya County on Saturday, July 27, Raila revealed that he talked with the President after the Cabinet was dissolved.
At the time, he indicated that he advised the President to replace the dismissed CSs with people of his own choice.
According to Raila, the opposition was only going to suggest names of CSs after a national dialogue had been held and an agreement on the way forward signed.
However, he detailed that Ruto informed him that he could not wait for that long as the CS positions could not remain vacant.
“I told Ruto the other day that since he had fired his Cabinet, he needed to put his people and that we would submit our recommendations after we have had the national dialogue.
“However, he told me that he wanted to be fast with the nominations as the positions could not remain vacant. So he told me that he would place his own people and then we would talk later,” he revealed.
It was at this point that Ruto picked some members of his party.
Given that the names were not forwarded by ODM, Raila noted that he cautioned Ruto against apportioning blame on the opposition if the four ODM nominees failed at their work.
“Afterwards, he picked some of our people (from ODM). I then told him that he should not say that we are the ones who gave him the names should they fail to deliver.
“We have released them. We do not have a coalition agreement with the government,” Raila reiterated.
ODM leaders who have been picked to join the Cabinet include nominated MP John Mbadi (Treasury), former Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho (Mining), Former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya (Cooperatives) and Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi (Energy).
In addition, Raila maintained that the nomination of the four ODM luminaries should not be perceived that he is the one who took them there, but he set them free to go and work for the people of Kenya.
“I have not changed my stand and the media have been misrepresenting facts in relation to what I have been saying,” he said.
He reiterated that there was need to have a national convention.
“Kenya is at a critical juncture and it is either we move forward or we perish and because we don’t want to perish, we need just a conversation and that’s why I proposed matters to be dealt with first before that convention can be heard,” he said.
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According to Raila, matters that must take precedence include compensation of families for victims of violence, payment of hospital medical bills for victims of police brutality still admitted across different facilities since last year, the release of those arrested and dropping all the charges against them in court.
He also added that the sacking and prosecution of all police officers involved in criminal violence against citizens exercising their rights must be done.
Raila said that when all the above is done, people can sit down and dialogue, telling locals at the funeral that ODM has come up with what the dialogue should be about.
He noted that issues being raised by Gen Z are similar to the ones they have been raising all along and they will continue to stand with the young people.
This includes tribalism and ethnicity, high cost of living, corruption and debt management, issues he said are critical and must be discussed.
Raila added that the issue of good governance is in the constitution but which was not being followed must also be looked into.
“Kenyans met at Bomas of Kenya, deliberated, and came up with a very progressive constitution. We must go back to the Bomas draft constitution to put it back on the table to see what need to be cleaned up to have progressive constitution,” he said.
“So we said therefore on the basis of that elaborate process, we can then talk about the government of national unity,” Raila said.
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