Why Luo Nyanza is embracing President Ruto; Oburu Odinga
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Oburu Odinga, elder brother to Raila lifts the lid on President William Ruto's warm welcome to Luo Nyanza during his visit to the region
Oburu Odinga, elder brother to Raila lifts the lid on President William Ruto’s warm welcome to Luo Nyanza during his visit to the region.
Raila Odinga’s embrace of President William Ruto during his two-day visit to the Nyanza region is not a “handshake,” according to Siaya Senator Dr. Oburu Oginga.
The warm welcome Dr. Ruto received in Nyanza, according to Dr. Oginga, has dispelled the myth that the region is unfriendly to Raila’s political opponents.
He claimed that Nyanza leaders made a commitment to prevent further bloodshed in the name of the elections.
“We promised that we will not shed any blood because of elections. Our people embarrassed foreign countries such as the US who issued travel advisories after the 2022 elections,” said Dr. Oginga.
The Siaya senator on Saturday led a section of Nyanza elected leaders, including Siaya Governor James Orengo, in receiving the President in Bondo.
“Greeting the President doesn’t mean we don’t have issues with him, there was no handshake between Raila and Ruto,” he said during an interview with a vernacular radio station, ‘Radio Nam Lolwe’ on Tuesday.
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Mr. Oginga addressed concerns impacting the Luo people, the President’s visit to Nyanza, and the necessity for leaders to provide services to the people of Nyanza during the interview.
“I am not aware of any phone call between Raila and Ruto before the President’s visit. What I know is that our party leader gave us his stand on the visit…later we agreed to welcome the Head of State,” he said.
Additionally, he disclosed that the Azimio leader had requested that they provide the President with the development initiatives they wanted the government to implement in their regions.
According to Dr. Oginga, the President pledged to finish projects for which contracts had been issued.
Dr. Oginga, who is the spokesperson of the Odinga family said the hospitality they accorded to the President does not mean they have forgotten the controversial presidential polls which the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya leader lost to Dr. Ruto.
He said that the country should wait for the Orange Democratic Movement leader, who is currently in South Africa, to reveal what transpired during the August 9 polls.
“Raila has promised to spill the beans on what went wrong in the last elections,” said Dr. Oginga.
He added: “It is finding the cure for the wound that will heal it and that is why instead of covering the wound, Raila will be trying to find the cure through speaking out. This will prevent future electoral injustices.”
There were concerns over the few appointments Dr. Ruto had made from the Luo Nyanza compared to his predecessors.
Dr. Oginga said the Head of State will soon be making more appointments despite the region voting overwhelmingly for Mr. Odinga.
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