By Anderson Ojwang’
Kisumu Women Representative, Ms Ruth Odinga, has accused Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi of being ungrateful and disrespectful to the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga family.
Ms Odinga claimed it was unfortunate for Mbadi to have made unsavory remarks about the family and that she will not allow the Cabinet Secretary to undermine the family.
“Mbadi now thinks that because my brother Raila Amolo Odinga is dead, he can now trample on our family. I am prepared and ready to face off with Mbadi,” she said in a telephone interview.
Ms Odinga did not limit the battle to only the telephone interview but went further to social media platforms and wrote: “Those who have rudishaad Raila are many. Today, I saw them in their true colors. I will respond very soon. Be sure sita nyamaza Mbadi!!! (I will not keep quiet, Mbadi!)”
Ms Odinga said there was a spat between her and Mbadi during the retreat and she even wondered about his role at the meeting by virtue that he was a public officer and should not be politically inclined.
However, attempts to get comment from Mbadi were unsuccessful after he failed to pick up our calls and respond to our text messages.
Ms Odinga said the ODM retreat in Mombasa was a venue to humiliate the Odingas and that she will not take it lying down any longer.
She said Mbadi was a beneficiary of the Odingas’ struggle and has no locus standi to disrespect and disregard the family.
“Who is Mbadi without the Odingas? We babied him, from MP to party chairman and now Cabinet Secretary. He should tread carefully. Mbadi must know and respect how he got to the top,” she said.
Ms Odinga said Mbadi has never been in the struggle and must respect the sacrifice the Odingas made for the country and the ODM party.
Ms Odinga was the only member of the family at the retreat after the party leader Dr Oburu Oginga sent his apologies due to unavoidable circumstances beyond his control.
The Kisumu legislator has been advocating for the reconciliation of the Linda Ground and Linda Mwananchi factions in the ODM party.
She has maintained it is prudent to unite the two factions of the party and voted against the sacking of Edwin Sifuna, ODM Secretary General.
But Mbadi had demanded the sacking of Sifuna, saying it was long overdue to allow the party to move into a pre-election coalition with President William Ruto’s UDA.
