ODM party leader Raila Odinga has assured Azimio la Umoja supporters that he will soon drop a bombshell as he had promised towards the end of last year.
Odinga, who was making his first political visit to Mombasa since the year began, said that his time to speak was not yet here, but promised that he will soon do so.
The ODM party boss was speaking in Mombasa after paying a courtesy call to Governor Abdulswamad Nassir at his office.
“Nilisema nitaongea mwaka huu, lakini bado haijafika wakati wangu wa kunena. Karibuni mimi nitaongea , nitaongea vizuri sana, nitafoka,”
Loosely translates to: "I said I was going to speak this year, the time is yet to come. But I am going to speak and I am going to speak very well."
Odinga assured Azimio supporters that all was not lost as he called on them to remain optimistic, promising that better days were yet to come.
“Nataka mujue ya kwamba bado kuna matumaini. Nataka mujue ya kwamba sisi kama wanachungwa na wanaazimio karibuni tutafarijika. Nyinyi nyote muwe na matumaini ya kwamba inawezekana”
Loosely translates to: "I want you to know that there is still hope, we as ODM and Azimio people will soon be comforted. I want all of you to remain hopeful that it is still possible.”
This was Odinga’s first political event since the beginning of 2023.
He was expected to meet Mombasa ODM elected leaders and party officials at the Tononoka Social Hall later in the afternoon.
Odinga, who was in Comoros Island, landed back in the country on Wednesday evening before jetting to Mombasa Thursday evening.
He was received by Governor Nassir and Mombasa County Assembly Speaker Aharub Khatri at the Moi International Airport in Mombasa.
When he lost the August general elections last year, Odinga jetted out to Zanzibar for a holiday with members of his family two days before President William Ruto was sworn into office.
Immediately after he landed back in the country from the holiday, he made his first visit and public appearance in Mombasa as he came to drum up support for Nassir in the delayed Mombasa gubernatorial race.
Odinga's recent visit comes barely a week after Governor Nassir together with other coast leaders was hosted by President William Ruto at state house Mombasa on December 31.
On January 3 this year, Nassir was among coast leaders together with Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung'aro who accompanied President Ruto in Tana River County as the president went on a site visit of the multi-billion Galana Kulalu irrigation project.
Political pundits say Odinga’s latest trip to Mombasa is to counter President Ruto who seems to be making inroads in what has for years been considered to be Odinga’s political backyard.
The ODM party on Thursday issued a statement tellings its elected leaders they were free to work with the President and his administration, but warned them not to fall for his political tricks.
“We don’t always tell our members what to do because we believe that as elected leaders, they know what is right and wrong,” ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna said.
