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Jalango defends visit with Ruto: Prioritizes progress over political drama


Lang’ata Member of Parliament Felix Odiwour, better known as Jalango, has defended his meeting with President William Ruto at State House on Tuesday.

The MP said that the meeting was more based on the development agenda for his constituents in Lang’ata, which would be achieved by working closely with the government of the day.

Jalango meets with President Ruto.
Jalango meets with President Ruto. PHOTO| COURTESY

Also read: Why I met President Ruto in State House with ODM MPs – Jalango

In an interview with SpiceFM, the MP said that political terms come and go, and people have already learned there are politics and development.

“Soon and very soon, the electorates will be smart enough or are already smart enough and they already know that there is politics and there is development,” Mr Jalango said.

He said that his State House visit was a bring development closer to the people and not about politics.

The MP likened the current political waves to his previous employment, where he worked on different radio stations, which was determined by the terms of employment.

“If you’re not giving me what I want, I move. Life is a movement, join the movement. Forget about all other things.”

Also read: Selfish: ODM reacts to Jalango and other Azimio MPs meeting President Ruto

According to him, there is no single day when politics will not exist in the country.

“They run concurrently, development and politics. It’s just for you to know which direction and what time are you where and how.”

When asked whether his surprise meeting with the President was a betrayal to the Azimio La Umoja one Kenya Coalition, which sponsored him to the Parliament, the MP said that his constituents would think about developments at the end of the day.

“If today, for example, I was with Baba in a rally and there is no water in Lang’ata, the people of Lang’ata will not care what I said in that rally, they will care about water in Lang’ata. If today there is water in Lang’ata and I didn’t show up at Baba’s rally, my ardent supporters, ODM supporters will not care that I was not care that there was water but I was not in the rally.”

Also read: The Muthokoi derby! Jalango advocates for counties league formation

The MP has, however, said that politics is where he belongs and is ready to work for the people and champion for their rights.

“We’ve been in this journey for the longest time, I’m just new in politics, it’s not everybody’s cup of tea that’s why some people come in one term and that’s it for them. To me I find that this is actually what I was meant for.”

President Ruto meets with a section of ODM leaders. PHOTO| COURTESY

The meeting at State House came amid heated debate in the country where the Azimio leader Mr Raila Odinga is calling for the Kenya Kwanza administration to resign, claiming that they subverted the will of the people in the August election.

Mr Odinga insists that he won the election by more than two million votes.

Other Azimio MPs who met the President and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua are Gideon Ochanda (Bondo), Elisha Odhiambo (Gem), Mark Nyamita (Uriri), Caroli Omondi (Suba South), Shakeel Shabir (Kisumu East, Independent), Paul Abuor (Rongo), John Owino (Awendo) and Kisumu Senator Tom Ojienda met with the President amid resistance movement.

Also read: President Ruto is my personal friend – Jalango on leaving Azimio