Exclusive: Gaucho reveals what he once gifted Raila’s family
Bunge la Mwananchi President Calvine Okoth aka Gaucho has revealed that he once presented special gifts to the family of Opposition leader Raila Odinga.
In an exclusive interview with Nairobi News, the fiery political mobiliser said he got the opportunity to present the gifts after Mama Ida Odinga invited him to the family home in Karen.
This, according to Gaucho, was just after retired president Uhuru Kenyatta had been reelected for a second term in 2017.
At the time, he had never met Mama Ida in person. But as fate would have it, Mr Odinga’s daughter Rosemary, who at the time was receiving treatment in India, had told her mother about him.
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“After Uhuru Kenyatta was re-elected as the president of Kenya in the 2017 General Election, there was chaos. This particular day, there were prayers at Uhuru Park organized by Prophet David Owuor. Raila and Mama Ida also attended the prayer meeting. Then one of their family friends saw me and shouted my name. When Mama Ida heard ‘Gaucho’, she quickly called me,” Gaucho narrated.
According to Gaucho, Mama Ida told him that her daughter Rosemary was always talking about me. Mama Ida then invited him to her home in Karen.
Gaucho gleefully accepted the invitation, but even before he set off on the appointed day, he faced a big dilemma. He thought of buying the Odinga family gifts, but he couldn’t settle on what to buy.
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“I thought of what I could give the Odinga family but I found none. This is because they can afford anything they want… If it is fish, they can use a chopper to ferry fresh fish from Kisumu… if it is fresh vegetables, they can do the same… After scratching my head for long, I decided to buy three Kiswahili Bibles which I wrapped well. This is what I presented to the family,” he recalled.
He said he bought one Bible for Mr Odinga, one for Mama Ida and another one for their daughter Rosemary. However, since Rosemary was still unwell, Gaucho was not allowed to call her.
“Since then I haven’t communicated much with Rosemary. However, it has always been my prayer that she gets well. I am forever grateful I met her. She has transformed my life so much. She also she helped build friendship with the Odinga family,” Gaucho said.
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