This archive report was first published on 6 August 2020.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga has clarified his visit to the home of Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli in Kajiado county, which sparked speculation about a possible political meeting.
According to Odinga, he accepted a personal invitation from Atwoli for a nyama choma lunch date, only to find other prominent politicians in attendance, including Siaya Senator James Orengo, former presidential candidate Peter Kenneth, and Jubilee Party's vice-chair David Murathe.
“Atwoli is my brother-in-law. When I visit Atwoli, not much should be read into it. I have been away for a long time, and he invited me to go and just have some nyama choma in his residence, and I went. I didn’t know that there were going to be other people who were invited. It was a coincidence. The reading is too much in this,” Odinga explained.
Published on August 6, 2020, Odinga also expressed his expectation that the country will hold a referendum in December, citing the need to learn from other countries that have held elections during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Initially, we were thinking that we would be able to do a referendum by July/August, but this has not been possible. That is why we are saying we hope (the coronavirus) will peak by September and October, then we can prepare to do a referendum at the end of November or December,” he said.
