Verbal attacks against Odingas, Luos must stop - Oburu

The obsession with the Odingas by President William Ruto and his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua has become a source of concern for the family, the head of the Odinga family, Oburu Odinga has said.

Oburu said the continued verbal attacks by the Presidency against Azimio leader Raila Odinga have been reduced to a personal fight.

“My brother Raila is the Azimio leader. I am quite disturbed, as the head of the Odinga family, that the person who is the President and who holds the instruments of power and force, heading the army and the armed forces of Kenya can threaten Raila to a personal duel,” he said.

Speaking at the Moi International Airport in Mombasa on Saturday, Oburu said the issues that Raila is fighting for on behalf of Kenyans are not personal between him and President Ruto.

“Whether he went in legally or illegally, he is the President holding the instruments of power. When Raila is demonstrating in accordance with the constitution of Kenya which he fought for it is not a personal issue,” said the Siaya Senator.

Raila last Monday led disgruntled Kenyans to a demonstration against the high cost of living that brought business in Nairobi and other parts of the country to a standstill.

The former Prime Minister said this week the demonstrations will be done on Monday and Thursday.

President Ruto and his deputy Gachagua have however said they will not bow down to blackmail saying Raila is deliberately sabotaging the economy.

Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome has declared the Azimio demonstrations illegal.

However, the Azimio leaders have vowed to continue with the demos saying the demands of Kenyans must be met.

Ruto has accused Raila of fighting for personal gain, a matter Oburu has denied.

“It is a matter of concern that a president who will not go out to the demonstrations invites an individual Kenyan, who has no arms, who has not been any given power to hold any arms, who comes out with his hands and you throw teargas bought by taxpayers, and you call that a personal duel. How can that be a personal duel?” Oburu questioned.

He called on Gachagua to respect every community and stop labelling some stone throwers.

“The Luo community respects you and has never called you names. But you keep on calling the community derogatory names. You must stop this and realize we are not in a campaign period anymore,” Oburu told Gachagua.

The government, he said, must protect Raila and other members of the Odinga family as any other Kenyans must be protected.

He said the Odinga's are taxpayers too and constant bashing only exposes them to predatory Kenyans who are only looking for some trigger to harm others.