RAILA AND HIS KEY OPPONENTS MET IN A FACE — TO – FACE- ENCOUNTER FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NDHIWA DURING BURIAL OF OJODE’S FATHER AS HUGE CROWDS WATCHED IN DISBELIEF
Reports By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.
The weekend high profile funeral of the father of the Assistant mister for Internal Security and Provincial Administration Joshua Orwa Ojode was a blessing in disguise in the true sense of the word.
Mzee Michael Ojode Otieno a highly respected community leader was laid to rest at his Ratang’a home in Central Kwabway Location, in Nyarongi Division, Ndhiwa district. Hs son Orwa Ojode acted as the master of ceremony and ushered the VIP and other dignitaries.
While addressing the mammoth crowd that had turned up to give Ojode’s father a heroic send off, President Kibaki, was wildly cheered by the huge crowd when he made an impromptu announcement of new plan to improve the key link road in the greater Southern Nyanza.
The President told the cheering mourners that the government would construct Opapo –Magina Pala and Oria road which is traversing Ndhiwa constituency, parts of Rongo, Awendo and Uriri constituencies. He also disclosed that plans are a foot to construct Migori-Muhuru Bay road and also another key road that is linking Mbita and Magunga in both Mbita and Gwassi districts. The roads mentioned covered several parliamentary constituencies of Migori, Nyatike, Ronmgo, Awendo, Uriri, Ndhiwa, Gwassi and Mbita and therefore are s vital for economic activities and access to the markets by farmers and fishermen alike.
President Kibaki also made a light touch about the two controversial fishing islands of Migingo and Ugingo reiterating his earlier statement that the two islands are part and parcel of Kenya, but he was rather diplomatically when he said there was no need for the two friendly sister countries to engage in unfruitful quarrelling over the small islands, something which could easily be sorted out amicably.
The most interesting feature of the event was the presence at the function of the Prime Minister Raila Odinga who met his key opponents on a face-to-face encounter for the past time.
Raila’s key rivals were the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, the suspended Higher Education Minister William Ruto and the Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa and to a lesser extent the Internal Security Minister Prof Goerge Saitoti who is also being rumored to be eyeing the presidency.
The three are, together with other presidential hopeful under the auspices of the so-called G7, who are known to be jointly strategizing to floor Raila Odinga in the 2012 general elections.
Thousands of people had travelled from all over the Luo-Nyanza when it became known by Saturday evening that the two principals together with other political luminaries would be in attendance at Mzee Ojode’s funeral.
In their addresses, however, the rival political camps steered clear of the politics of succession only dwelling in more calls for national unity and cohesion to spur the faster development and economic growth.
It is a real show of national solidarity as the rivals mingled and easily interacted with each other and at time engaged in hearty chatting at the VIP dais in full view of the crowd.
Other members of the G7 present at the function were Samuel Pogisio, MP Cyrus Jirongo, former South Mugirango MP Omingo Magara.William Ruto, Eugne Wamalwa, William Kabogo, Simeon Lersima, Ferdinand Waititu, Kambi Kazungu and Jamleck Kamau.
Those in attendance from the OIDM side include Immigration Minister Otieno Kajwang’, Land Minister James Aggrey Orengo, Finance Assistant Minister Dr.Oburu Odinga, Assistant Foreign Minister Richard Onyonka, Education Assitant Minister Prof. Ayiecho Olueny, Goerge Otieno Ogindo ) Rangwe), John Mbadi {Gwassi}, Edwin Ochieng Yinda {Alego-Usonga},Yusuf Chanzu {Vihiga},James Gesami {Nyaribari Chache} Millie Odhiambo {Nominated} and Fred Outa {Nyando},
Some of the local MPs were later heard complaining that they were not given due attention and respect as leaders
One man who stole the show was Uhuru Kenyatta who instantly became the darling of the crowd earning the longest applause and cheers from the mourners. Many people seemed to having keen interest in seeing Mr. Kenyatta who appeared to be the darling of the crowd as the Gatundu South MP exchanged hearty greeting with almost everybody who came his way becoming instant center of attraction.
Raila Odinga heaped a lot of praise to President Kibaki and his style of leadership, which he said, had seen the country moving much faster in terms of development. He has changed the development tempo from the previous regime where people were forced to kneel down before the President while begging for development.
He told the crowd that the government has instituted a Ministerial team comprising of the Internal Security Minister Saitoti, Immigration Minister Otieno Kajwang’, Lands and Acting Foreign Minister James Orengo to resume talks with their Ugandan counterparts on the status of the two fishing islands in Lake Victoria which are currently in dispute between Kenya and Uganda.
Two Minister from Luo-Nyanza praised President Kibaki’s development record, and Otieno Kajwang’ of the Immigration dwelt on the new major roads linking districts headquarters in the region, which are being constructed a fresh or in the process of being constructed as some of the example of massive development being experienced in the region.
Orengo pleaded with President Kibaki to restrain his PNU leaders from publicly vilifying the Prime Minister Odinga, adding, ” We in ODM , we respect you as the President of the Republic of Kenyan and the Commander In-Chie of the Armed Forces, and at no time have we talked ill of you in public.
The PNU MPs should reciprocate and show respect to the Prime Minister as an important coalition government partner.
Ojode thanked the President Kibaki for ordering the tarmac king Opapo-Magina-Pala road and for upgrading Mirogi Boys Secondary School to be the constituent college of the Maseno University.
The funeral gathering rekindled the old spirit of unity with which Kenyans fought the mighty British forces and won their political independence after many years of blood-letting struggle. Politics were set aside as the leaders in attendance showed the true spirit of being true Kenyans and a united team.
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