This archive report was first published on 6 October 2019.
On October 5, 2019, Raila Odinga, leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), spoke out in defense of President Kenyatta's nominee for Kenya's High Commissioner to South Korea, Mwende Mwinzi.
MPs had been pushing for Ms. Mwinzi to renounce her United States citizenship before taking up the ambassadorial role, citing section 31(1) of the Leadership and Integrity Act.
However, Raila Odinga urged MPs to reconsider their decision, terming it 'extremely disturbing and dubious.'
He argued that MPs' treatment of Ms. Mwinzi had cast her as a criminal and reduced her to being less Kenyan than the Members of Parliament.
According to Raila, the spirit of the law should protect Ms. Mwinzi, who was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1971 to a Kenyan father and an American mother.
He further accused MPs of 'petty vendetta' and failing to rise above 'partisan interests.'
Quoting Article 14 of the Constitution, Raila said the law protects Ms. Mwinzi from jeopardy as it makes provision for people in such situations seeking to hold State office.
