Nairobi News

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s son, Raila Junior, on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on his father’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party and its officials, accusing them of losing focus.

Raila Junior, Mr Odinga’s third born child, also blasted party director of elections Junet Mohamed’s stand on the arrest of Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi.

“We as ODM need to find our way back to basics. We are not just about private jets and slay queens whilst abusing rival politicians,” Mr Odinga Junior told his 200,000 Twitter followers.

ODM, he said, has a development agenda clearly outlined in our manifesto. He also urged leaders to focus on service delivery, democratic space and protecting private citizen rights.

Twitter users read the talk of private jets as an attack on Mr Mohamed and Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, who both visited Mr Odinga at a Dubai hospital where he underwent a minor surgery on his back.

HATE SPEECH

Mr Odinga also called out Mr Mohamed, tagging him in his tweet.

“Actually, Junet Mohamed as Minority Whip in the House and senior parliamentarian, I believe your position should be that even though you don’t necessarily agree with what Oscar Sudi said, you’ll defend his right to say it. Freedom of speech is the cornerstone of our democracy!” Raila Junior said.

Mr Sudi was on Monday charged with hate speech at a Nakuru court and a section of ODM politicians as well as those allied to President Uhuru Kenyatta have called for Deputy President William Ruto to apologise for the inflammatory utterances by Kapseret lawmaker and Emurua Dikirr counterpart Johana Ng’eno.

ACTING SMART

But while responding to Raila Junior’s tweets, former National Super Alliance (Nasa) CEO Norman Magaya asked him “to stop acting smart.”

“In war, those who seek to sound politically correct seldom last. Stop seeking to sound the sober in the midst of war! Attacking party cadres to look good is a new low from you. Come on!” Mr Magaya said.

Raila Junior, like his younger sister Winnie, have both taken interest in the political activities of their father, with the latter accompanying her father in trips and key meetings.

Back in 2017, Rosemary Odinga, Odinga’s eldest daughter and second born child, announced her bid for the Kibra parliamentary seat but later shelved her ambitions after she was taken ill. She is still in recovery and has not indicated whether she will throw her hat in the ring again.

Mr Odinga’s first born child, Fidel, died in 2015.