– AUGUST 29, 2011
BY SAMUEL OWIDA AUGUST29
Thirteen ODM legislators drawn from Nairobi, Rift Valley, Western and Nyanza regions have declared that Prime Minister Raila Odinga is the man to beat 2012.
Speaking at Waware village in Mbita constituency during the burial of Damaris Odhiambo mother to nominated MP Millie Odhiambo, The MPs led by Lands Minister James Orengo and Immigration counterpart Otieno Kajwang’ said the G7 group would not hoodwink Kenyans since they have no impeccable track records and stand for nothing.
Joseph Nanok, Dr. Joyce Laboso, Rachel Shebesh, Ababu Namwamba and Elizabeth Ongoro said Raila has what it takes to lead the country to the next level adding he is the first among equals with a clean track record with ideological based principles.
Orengo challenged President Mwai Kibaki to declare Prime Minister as his heir apparent in 2012 elections adding that as a matter of reciprocation, there would be nothing wrong if Kibaki named Raila as his successor because in 1963, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga selflessly rallied Kenyans behind the founding President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.
Raila did the same in 2002 when he declared Kibaki Tosha and mobilized Kenyans to vote for him.
“Despite the fact that President Kibaki has kept silence over the succession politics, Raila remains the best bet for the country to succeed him,” he said
On Raphael Tuju’s presidential bid, Orengo said the move is full of day dreaming asking Tuju to draw a lesson he learnt in 2002 when he made a stab for presidency while Raila was pushing for Kibaki.
“It was an uphill task for me when he fronted for Kibaki, but now that he is himself going for it himself, Tuju’s bid remains a pipe dream,” said Orengo.
In 2002 when Orengo contested for presidency on Social Democratic Party (SDP), he got a paltry over 200,000 votes nationally and lost his Ugenya parliamentary seat in what seemed to fulfill Raila’s prediction that.
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