This archive report was first published on 14 July 2019.
July 14, 2019
ANC leaders Geodfrey Osotsi and Cleophas Malala have defied intimidation and vowed to continue supporting Raila Odinga, the NASA coalition leader. The two leaders, who are facing persecution from their party and detractors in Western Kenya, say they will not be silenced or intimidated.
Osotsi, who has been expelled from his party the ANC for publicly showing support for Raila Odinga, says the move is an attempt to silence him and have him submit to 'powers that be' which are not happy with his dalliance with Odinga.
'I am being fought for my principles. I want to make it clear that I support Raila as the NASA coalition leader and as an ANC MP, our party is still in NASA. The truth is that there are some people within Luhya politics who want to muzzle all Raila voices in Western. They want to fight me, Malala and Khaniri because of Raila,' Mr Osotsi stated.
Malala, who is facing a lot of legal battles as well as persecution by his own party, ANC for being an ardent Raila Odinga supporter, says nobody has the capacity to victimize him in ANC.
'Nobody has the capacity to victimize me in ANC. Even in 2017 I was at the forefront, advocating for a Musalia candidature in NASA. I even led demos in Kakamega saying 'No Mudavadi No NASA' but Musalia convinced us that they had agreed on Raila to fly the flag,' he said.
Both Osotsi and Malala have come out strongly in support of Mr Odinga, along with ODM secretary-general Edwin Sifuna, Senate deputy minority leader George Khaniri, and other Luhya leaders.
