Saturday, April 8, 2023 – Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is yet in another dilemma just after constituting a seven-member team to engage President William Ruto’s side on bipartisan talks.
This is after a section of Azimio MPs slammed him for picking the old guards and neglecting the youth.
Led by Embakasi East Member of Parliament Paul Ongiri alias Babu Owino, the MPs called out Raila for allegedly neglecting the youth in the team fronted to face the government.
Babu Owino castigated the Azimio leader in his argument, claiming that the youth ought to have been featured in the lineup to engage Kenya Kwanza’s side on bipartisan talks.
Justifying his arguments, the second-term member of parliament alleged that the youth faced police brutality during weekly protests and needed to be included in the line-up to express their opinions.
“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.
“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.
The Kenyan DAILY POST