- Raila, however, insisted that they didn't enter any agreement or a signed pact with the government and that ODM party is still in the Opposition and Azimio.
- He explained that when Ruto requested to have members from his party, he insisted that there were issues that needed to be addressed first.
Image: FAITH MATETE
Azimio leader Raila Odinga has said ODM has set free its four members nominated by President William Ruto to his cabinet.
Raila, however, insisted that they didn't enter any agreement or a signed pact with the government and that ODM party is still in the Opposition and Azimio.
He noted that there is no contradiction to what he has always been saying and nothing has changed because their stand remains the same.
The Azimio chief explained that when Ruto requested to have members from his party, he insisted that there were issues that needed to be addressed first before they could go that direction.
Raila said Ruto, however, said he was in hurry and needed to reconstitute the cabinet because the country must continue running and any other outstanding issues will be addressed later.
“We said if you want to take some of our experts and get into your government we release them to join your government but they work in accordance with the ethics of our party ODM and Azimio,” Raila said.
Ruto on Wednesday nominated ODM leaders Hassan Joho, Wycliffe Oparanya, Opiyo Wandayi and John Mbadi to his new cabinet.
Mbadi was given Treasury docket, Energy and Petroleum went to Wandayi, Oparanya got Cooperatives and MSME Development while Joho was handed the Ministry of Mining and Blue Economy.
Raila maintained that the nomination of the four ODM luminaries should not be perceived that he is the one who took them there, but he set them free to go and work for the people of Kenya.
“I have not changed my stand and the media have been misrepresenting facts in relation to what I have been saying,” he said.
The ODM leader was speaking in Alego Usonga during the burial of Lawyer Evans Orwenjo.
He reiterated that there was need to have a national convention.
"Kenya is at a critical juncture and it is either we move forward or we perish and because we don't want to perish, we need just a conversation and that's why I proposed matters to be dealt with first before that convention can be heard,” hesaid.
According to Raila, matters that must take precedence include compensation of families for victims of violence, payment of hospital medical bills for victims of police brutality still admitted across different facilities since last year, the release of those arrested and dropping all the charges against them in court.
He also added that sacking and prosecution of all police officers involved in criminal violence against citizens excersing their rights must be done.
Raila said that when all the above is done, people can sit down and dialogue, telling locals at the funeral that ODM has come up with what the dialogue should be about.
He noted that issues being raised by the Gen Z are similar to the ones they have been raising all along and they will continue to stand with the young people.
This includes tribalism and ethnicity, high cost of living, corruption and debt management, issues he said are critical and must be discussed.
Raila added that the issue of good governance is in the constitution but which was not being followed must also be looked into.
"Kenyans met at Bomas of Kenya, deliberated and came up with a very progressive constitution. We must go back to the Bomas draft constitution to put it back on the table to see what need to be cleaned up to have progressive constitution,” he said.
"So we said therefore on the basis of that elaborate process, we can then talk about the government of national unity,” Raila said.