This archive report was first published on 7 October 2019.
On October 7, 2019, the government suspended the dredging of Likoni Channel in Kenya, a move that sparked controversy among Jubilee MPs who accused Raila Odinga of overstepping his mandate.
According to reports, Odinga had visited the Likoni Ferry on Saturday, where he was briefed on the efforts to recover the bodies of 35-year-old Mariam Kighenda and her four-year-old daughter who drowned last Sunday.
Following the briefing, Odinga directed that the dredging exercise being carried out in the area be halted, citing interference with the recovery efforts.
“I want to give an order here that the dredging works stop immediately so that those who are working here can work without interference,” Odinga said.
However, Jubilee MPs, led by Mathira Member of Parliament Rigathi Gachagua, accused Odinga of overstepping his mandate and abusing his position as the AU Envoy.
“Your excellency, these handshake people are abusing us. We are starting to get a very interesting scenario. How can the opposition leader purport to give instructions to government officials to carry out orders. Is that even possible?” Gachagua questioned.
Philip Etale, a Twitter user, defended Odinga's decision, saying, “The directive on DREDGING has been adhered to. Those shouting hoarse about this are driven by IGNORANCE. We must learn to be humane. There is a family and friends who are having sleepless nights because their beloved ones are still trapped somewhere in the ocean.”
