By Anderson Ojwang
Suba South MP Caroli Omondi has sensationally claimed that the late Raila Amolo Odinga was betrayed while in Dubai over the formation of the broad-based government.
Caroli, in a recent TV interview, claimed that while Raila was in Dubai, some of his lieutenants joined the government without his blessings.
“Let me tell you, in the fullness of time, we will bring some things out that will surprise people. There are people who claim they are in the broad-based government because of Raila.
They went into the broad-based government against Raila’s wishes when he was in Dubai, when he directed that they should not join the broad-based arrangement. They know how they ended up there,” he said.
Caroli said Raila was infuriated and disappointed, and that when he returned to the country, he avoided some of those leaders.
“When Raila came back, he refused to even meet them at the airport. He got into the airside, got into his car, drove away, and disappeared.
Raila issued a statement that they went in their personal capacity. People didn’t understand what Baba was saying,” he said.
Caroli said some of those leaders should not pretend and lie to the public that they were in good books with Raila before his death and should be honest about their relationship.
“Some of them, by the time Baba was dying, they were not on talking terms. When they are talking to us, they should know that we are not stupid. There is a way they should talk to us.
They should not talk to us with useless statements that we are in the broad-based government for development. I am asking them, yes, it is true, what development has been taken to Luo land under this broad-based arrangement under Sh50b, Sh50m cumulatively added by none other than the Chairman of Budget at the Assembly, Sam Atandi, while one hospital is being built in Uasin Gishu at Sh50b?” he said.
Caroli expressed concern that Raila’s pet project, the Sondu-Koin Dam valued at Sh25 billion, has stalled and nobody is following it up.
“Baba’s pet project was Sondu-Koin Dam, which is Sh25b. That is what he wanted the broad-based government to do, but it has not been done. Nobody is pursuing it.
We are being told about development while the contractor doing my roads has three pending certificates. The CS John Mbadi for Treasury is from my constituency. Why can’t they pay the bills so that the works can go on smoothly? You cannot take a whole community for a ride simply because of small handouts,” he said.
Recently, ODM party leader Dr. Oburu Oginga Oburu opened the lid of the can by declaring that he has been the one chairing all the broad-based meetings between Raila and President William Ruto, which probably makes him the brainchild and the chief negotiator in the arrangement.
Oburu said he is the one who has been chairing all the broad-based arrangements between Ruto and the late Raila.
“Those who are saying Oburu does not talk are talking nonsense. In this broad-based arrangement, I want to assure those who are saying that it was only Raila who could