Raila Odinga clears the air on why the ODM MPs visited Statehouse

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader, Raila Odinga, has changed his tune on defecting members of the party who have been warming up in President Ruto’s government.

Speaking in an exclusive interview in KTN news on Tuesday night February 28, Odinga insinuated that the rebel ODM Members of Parliament (MPs) had earlier wrote to him explaining their reason to meet President William Samoei Ruto and his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, at the State House.

Odinga claimed that the Members of Parliament were there when Ruto went to Nyanza and they told him that Ruto had promised to involve them in certain projects which they are following up and that is the reason they had to visit the State House.

He added that he received written communication from them indicating that they did not betray their loyalty to the ODM party.

On Ken Mijungu’s interjection on Felix Odiwuor alias Jalango reasons of joining Ruto’s government yet he is from Lang’ata not Nyanza, Odinga explained that Lang’ata MP, Jalang’o, told him that he had to visit the State House because Ruto is his friend but he had not withdrawn from the party.

Odinga further indicated that he had earlier instructed the party’s top leaders to give the defecting Members of Parliament the benefit of doubt on their explanations regarding the State House visits they have been spotted in.

He explained that he had ordered the top party officials to deal with them if the party wants to carry out any disciplinary actions against them adding that visiting the State House is not a crime as long they make it known to the party leaders.

Odinga further explained that going the way the Members of Parliament did is the one that caused problem and if they intended to move they were not the first ones since defections started back in the days when people were doing what is required by the law.

He added that if a member of the party is moving away from the party that sponsored them to parliament, they have to resign and go and contest the election in a new party since they welcome them to go and re-contest.