By Anderson Ojwang
Kisumu Women Representative Ruth Odinga has said the Linda Mwananchi faction of ODM are welcome to hold their rally in Kisumu town.
Odinga dismissed Alego MP Sam Atandi’s statement that Siaya Governor James Orengo’s led group were not welcome in the lake city.
Odinga wondered on whose capacity and behalf Atandi was speaking on, while he is a stranger in the city.
“Why is Atandi so excited and talking recklessly? He is a stranger in Kisumu politics and controls no political constituency in the lake city. I pity him. He wants to please his master, and the sad part of it is he will be the loser,” she said.
Odinga said ODM was founded on the pillars of democracy, and that is why it was retrogressive for Atandi and his ilk to say some people are not welcome in Kisumu.
She said such statements negate the gains that the late Raila Amolo Odinga fought for and must be called out.
Odinga, who spoke during an interview, said democracy demands free and open competition without any act of hooliganism and violence.
“Linda Ground recently held their rally in Kisumu, and nobody was bothered about them. Why are they running scared of their opponents? Let them sell their policies to the people and allow the public to make a decision,” she said.
Atandi has maintained that Orengo’s group is not allowed in Kisumu and claimed they are bent on breaking and undermining the gains the broad-based government has made in Kisumu.
“Orengo and his team are not allowed in Kisumu. They want to cause chaos in the town, and we will not allow that. They must respect our party leader Dr Oburu Oginga,” he said.
Odinga warned Atandi to tread carefully and learn politics from the elders.
“Atandi was never part of the struggle. He is a beneficiary of the struggle. Does he understand the sacrifices we made to make Kenya where it is today? He should learn and understand that politics is dynamic and not static,” she said.
Linda Mwananchi will hold its rally tomorrow in Kisumu.
The team will first attend church service in the sprawling slums of Nyalenda, where Embakasi East MP Babu Owino grew up.
For Owino, it will be the first time to return home after they founded Linda Mwananchi.
Orengo has been traversing Kisumu city and its environs mobilizing people to attend.
