Lawyer Miguna Miguna has dismissed Opposition leader Raila Odinga’s apparent political moves, including his meeting with the Gema Business Community, as “intellectual stupidity”.
The meeting is one of several aimed at formulating plans for implementing the Building Bridges Initiative.
Raila and President Uhuru Kenyatta came up with this plan after their March 9 handshake. Their general goal is to unite a divided Kenya and steer development across the country.
Miguna gave his view via Twitter on Friday after one ‘Official JM Crick’ said Raila was “destroying the enemies by befriending them”.
“He is German schooled. Those are the ideologies of Otto Von-Bismak,” Crick said.
He wrote his tweet after one ‘Sub Chief’ told Raila that he had betrayed his loyal followers whom suspected Mungiki “beat and slaughtered … in Muthurwa & OTC in broad daylight during demonstrations”.
In another tweet, Miguna called Raila a “Building Bridges Encyclopedia Salesman” who had breakfast in Nairobi “when his fake brother purported to proscribe the NRMKe, a movement for the liberation of all Kenyans.”
The self-styled NRMKe General added: “Patriots, let’s march on to victory over dynastic exploitation and oppression!”​
As handshake events continue to unfold, Kenyans are awaiting the return of the deported Miguna, who has consistently criticised Raila since he called the truce with Uhuru
The lawyer, who was detained for days before being forced to leave for Canada, announced that he will return on Wednesday.
He had it rough with security officers when he attempted to jet back into the country on March 26. He was first deported on February 6.
Lawyer and NRMKe General Miguna Miguna during a press conference in Nairobi on the ‘swearing- in’ of Nasa principals Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka, December 24, 2018. /JACK OWUOR
“ARE SOME MORE KENYAN THAN OTHERS?”
Raila’s meeting was with with businessmen drawn from the Mt Kenya region. Among those who accompanied him was Nasa strategist David Ndii, Oaul and Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang. Members of the community who were present included Chairman Wilfred Kamau.
After the session, the ODM leader tweeted: “I attended a breakfast meeting hosted by the Gema Business Community. They have pledged their support for the Building Bridges Initiative and expressed willingness to play any role that they may be requested to in the days ahead. Asanteni sana (Thank you very much).
In their responses, some Twitter users termed the meeting a show of betrayal to the Nasa principal’s ardent supporters.
One with the handle ‘@e_nyamai2’ noted that some of Raila’s supporters died while accompanying him from the JKIA in Nairobi November 17, 2017.
Several Nasa supporters were killed on that day in what human rights activists said were extrajudicial killings.
Dan Bwokero said electoral justice cannot be substituted with building bridges.
“We need to know what is in the [IEBC] server. We need to know the role of police and orders issued to them. We need to know about the killings that happened and we need to know who owns Kenya and can decide who is not Kenyan.”
One Omoroh warned that Raila’s friendliness with his political rivals will end with him suffering betrayal.
“Baba, [you are] being blackmailed. [You] won’t get anything out of it. Remember what [former President Mwai] Kibaki did to [you],” he wrote.
Kenya suffered weeks of violence in the 2007 election that saw Raila vie against Kibaki. At least 1,300 people were killed and more than 600,000 internally displaced.
Danvas Nyabasa urged Raila to extend the courtesy by meeting victims of flooding in Nyando constituency, Kisumu county.
To this, Yuaya Dominick replied: “People are always funny. Building bridges simply means bringing together those who have not been in good terms, according to the handshake. Hayo ya Nyando wachia Eugene Wamalwa na James Macharia (Leave Nyando matters to Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa and Transport’s James Macharia).”
‘@JustBeeTee’ replied: “And who are those people?”
The social media user added: “From what I see, the only people who were beefing – were Uhuru, [Deputy President William] Ruto, Raila. Regular Kenyans were together.”
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Nasa Opposition leader Raila Odinga meet at Harambee House in Nairobi, March 9, 2018. /JACK OWUOR
MAJOR PLANS UNDERWAY
Uhuru and Raila’s friendship has been praised and criticised in equal measure, with both leaders defending it on the premise of Kenya’s growth and sustained contributions to the region’s development.
The two have already formed a 14-member committee of advisers mandated with designing a programme that will allow them to “closely listen to the wisdom and concerns” of Kenyans.
Raila met members of the committee on Thursday and briefed them about the nine-point agenda he and the President agreed on.
The team is headed by Ambassador Martin Kimani and lawyer Paul Mwangi, who also attended today’s meeting.
“The advisory team will proceed for a retreat in the coming days and will design a programme that allows them to listen closely to the wisdom and concerns of their fellows citizens,” Kimani and Mwangi said in a statement after yesterday’s meeting.
By EMMANUEL WANJALA
