- Mudavadi claimed Raila is using the Luhya community to get to power.
- Oparanya said Luhya community benefitted from the grand-coalition government.
Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya has defended Azimio leader Raila Odinga over what he termed as a smear campaign engineered by ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi.
Oparanya claimed Mudavadi is out on a desperate mission to create a wedge between the Luhya community and the former Prime Minister ahead of the August 9 polls.
The Governor was responding to claims by Mudavadi and Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetangula accusing Raila of using the community to find his way into government only to abandon them without any dividends.
Mudavadi and Wetangula convened a late press briefing on Monday where they hit out at Odinga stating he has no interest of the Luhya community at heart.
The briefing at Musalia Mudavadi Center in Nairobi’s Lavington was also attended by Mumias East MP Benjamin Washiali and ex-Foreign Affairs CAS Abadu Namwamba.
In a statement, the ODM Deputy Party Leader accused Mudavadi and his ilk of misplaced vendetta against Raila whom he said shared key positions with Luhyas in the grand coalition government.
He termed the attack insincere insisting the ODM leader has never abandoned the community challenging Mudavadi to show what he has done for Luhyas in his 30 years when in government.
According to the Kakamega County boss, the Luhya community bagged at least nine top government positions making the region one of the major beneficiaries.
“Mudavadi should be grateful to Hon Odinga for getting him out of political limbo that he was thrown into by former Vihiga Governor Moses Akaranga when he humiliated him in the Sabatia Parliamentary contest in 2002. It is Hon Odinga who held his hand and brought him back into political limelight raising him to the position of Deputy Prime Minister."
He dismissed as untrue and unfounded claims that the former Prime Minister had never had the interest of the community at heart.
Kenneth Marende (Speaker of National Assembly), Fred Gumo, Dr Paul Otuoma, Ababu Namwamba and himself are some of the big names from the community appointed to the grand-coalition cabinet by Odinga.
“Hon George Khaniri, Hon Sospeter Ojaamong and Hon Alfred Khang’ati were also appointed as Assistant Ministers,” he added.
The Azimio Treasury Cabinet nominee accused Mudavadi is engaged in a smear campaign to vent out frustrations they are currently facing in the Kenya Kwanza team.
He said the reality is dawning on the ANC boss that it will be impossible to deliver a 70 percent community vote to unlock the 30 percent share of the government.
“I attribute Mudavadi and Wetang’ula’s anger to frustrations they are getting in Kenya Kwanza Alliance after Ruto shortchanged them by declaring his presidential candidature on UDA ticket instead of the Alliance,” he said.