This archive report was first published on 27 December 2019.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga has expressed skepticism about the war against corruption, saying it has not been genuine enough. In a recent interview, he emphasized the need to direct the fight towards individuals with unexplained wealth, particularly those in positions of power.
Speaking exclusively to Citizen TV at his Opoda Farm in Bondo, Mr. Odinga stated that the current approach to fighting corruption is superficial. He cited instances where individuals are seen moving around with large sums of money, which he believes is a clear indication of unexplained wealth.
“You have a situation where individuals are moving around with sacks full of money every Sunday looking for harambees to go and donate. Until there is boldness enough to face those people directly and tell them to step aside, we do a lifestyle audit on you, we are just scratching the surface,” he said.
Mr. Odinga also spoke about his perceived bad blood with Deputy President William Ruto, stating that he has nothing against the country’s second in command. He dismissed what he termed as DP Ruto’s victim mentality in the 2022 succession, saying the presidency is not a preserve for anyone.
“There are so many Kenyans who want to be president in 2022, not only the DP…that position is not reserved for the DP alone,” he stated.
Regarding the National Super Alliance (NASA), Mr. Odinga signaled what could be the death of the coalition, saying what remains of it are merely “superficial party obligations” to the coalition. He emphasized that NASA ceased to exist the moment it failed to win the presidency.
Mr. Odinga has been adversely mentioned in the new autobiography of Amani National Congress (ANC) party leader Musalia Mudavadi, where the former Vice President claims the Uhuru Park mock swearing in was a one-man show. However, Mr. Odinga rubbished allegations by Mudavadi and fellow NASA co-principals that he betrayed them and left them in the cold on the day of the mock swearing in.
“The fact of the matter is that whoever was not there wasn’t there because they did not want to be there, not because they were denied,” said Mr. Odinga, adding: “I did not switch off the phone, the phones that were switched off are known but we managed to reach them and they were very honest saying this was dangerous.”
On the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report, the ODM boss hinted that the report could undergo serious changes before going for a vote. He emphasized that the people have the power to change any section of the Constitution, and therefore, it is not right to say that certain parts can only be amended by Parliament.
Mr. Odinga recalled the surprise handshake between him and President Uhuru Kenyatta at the height of the post-election crisis. He stated that the tension between them at the time was quite palpable, but they eventually broke the ice and breathed life to the BBI taskforce whose term has now been extended.
