- Githunguri Member of Parliament, Gathoni Wamuchomba, revealed how growing up in Mount Kenya created a negative view of Raila Odinga
- He revealed that his personal meeting with Raila during the BBI debates years ago changed his attitude
- Wamuchomba challenged politicians to stop creating leaders for the sake of votes, encouraging debates and agendas with more respect and truth
The Member of Parliament for Githunguri, Gathoni Wamuchomba, has opened up about the fears that those who were sold in Mount Kenya about him Raila Odinga.
Source: UGC
He now realizes that his native region had a negative view of the former prime minister, due to the rumors that surrounded him when he was growing up.
What did Wamuchomba say about Raila Odinga?
Speaking in the National Assembly on November 5, when his colleagues were commemorating Raila, Wamuchomba noted that Raila was unfairly disparaged for political gain.
“It is very unfortunate that when I was growing up as a little girl, I grew up knowing Raila Odinga as a bad person politically. We were told stories about him, stories about his life, and we were made to believe that he was a very bad person,” he remembered.
However, he mentally redeemed himself several years later after spending time with Raila.
Wamuchomba recalled having an audience with the ODM leader who died four years ago during a heated debate on the Bridges Building Initiative (BBI), which had signaled the upcoming referendum.
The MP remembered staying with Raila at his home in Karen, where he opened his eyes to many things.
“When I was elected in the last parliament in this parliament, through my interaction with many leaders in this parliament, when we formed a coalition about BBI, I had the opportunity to share a table with Baba. I remember one evening when he invited me and Karen to have a drink to reveal the narrative of BBI, and he asked me a question about my one-man and calming inspiration in BBI,” he said.
He found that Raila was kind and understanding, apart from the tall tales they were told when they were young.
After that interaction, he befriended Raila and changed his attitude towards him.
“To my surprise, I didn’t know that Baba was a very understanding person. He gave me his ear, listened to me, explained his opinion, changed my opinion, and befriended this little girl from Githunguri. And from that day on, I was so proud that I even saved Baba’s phone number in my phone,” he remembered.
Source: Facebook
How Raila changed the political attitude of the Chomba people
Wamuchomba regretted that Raila was used as a madman in Mount Kenya politics to win the election for those who sought various election opportunities without an agenda for change.
He complained that the urban legends were rooted in the locals, who developed deep hatred for the innocent Raila.
According to him, it was wrong to humiliate people like Raila despite their dedication to the country.
He urged his colleagues in politics to imitate Raila’s spirit of tolerance and generosity and avoid making inappropriate accusations against each other, noting that politics should not exceed the basics of life.
“I want to talk about how we collect political narratives, especially for us, the political class. We have humiliated people who do not deserve to humiliate. We have given people inappropriate identities who do not deserve to be given those identities,” he said. “There are many people who wonder, is this the same one we remember speaking well of Baba when we campaigned using Baba’s personality to win votes? I think it is the right time. Baba’s story should teach us how we should speak politically, even when we are competing for votes. Politics should not tarnish people’s images, target people’s families, and destroy people’s social image. When Baba rests, these are challenges for the political class, including me. Politics is a game, but life is sacred.”
How Raila tried to remove the misconceptions against him
In his life, Raila had tried to change the attitude held by those who opposed him.
During his visits to Mount Kenya, he reminded the locals that his father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, left the presidency to demand the release of the arrested Jomo Kenyatta.
He also remembered his commitment to the election Mwai Kibaki in the 2002 General Election.
Raila insisted that if he, or his community, were hostile towards the people of Mt Kenya, then the preceding events, of Jaramogi demanding the release of Kenyatta and him (Raila) postponing his presidential bid in 2002 to support Kibaki, would not be true.
The former prime minister died on October 15 at the age of 80.
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