The row involving ODM party leader Raila Odinga's health is threatening to get messy after the Wiper Patriotic Front hit back at claims of a supposed campaign of misinformation regarding the former Prime Minister.
In a strongly worded statement on Sunday, October 5, the Wiper Party dismissed ODM's earlier statement, which suggested that Kalonzo Musyoka, Eugene Wamalwa, and Rigathi Gachagua were behind what the party secretariat termed as falsehoods about Raila’s health for political mileage.
Kalonzo's party dismissed the allegations, describing the claims as "baseless, desperate, and a distraction from ODM’s own internal chaos and political decay."
"Let it be stated clearly, H.E. Kalonzo Musyoka harbours no ill will whatsoever toward Mr Odinga. The two Leaders share a long, public history of cooperation and mutual respect," a statement from Wiper's Secretary General Shakila Aballa said.
"Any suggestion that H.E. Kalonzo Musyoka wishes harm upon Raila is malicious, reckless, and utterly false. ODM's attempt to drag HE Kalonzo Musyoka into its internal confusion is a weak distraction from the cracks splitting the so-called Broad-Based Government they now defend so blindly.
In an earlier statement from Raila Odinga’s spokesperson, Dennis Onyango, the ODM party leader's office clarified that although Raila had travelled out of the country on Friday, he did not travel to Europe for treatment as alluded by some media houses.
However, it did not specify where the former Prime Minister had travelled to, although it insisted that a public communication would have been made if he had been ill, as had been done previously.
Wiper, in their rejoinder, further faulted ODM, stating that the party was using Kalonzo as a scapegoat to mask the woes in the 'broad-based government', which they accused Raila of following blindly.
Kalonzo's party also took issue with ODM's attempt to link Kalonzo's to Raila's failed bid for the African Union Commission chairmanship, claiming that the ODM leader's defeat had more to do with "diplomatic blunders".
Further, Wiper accused ODM of exploiting Raila's health as a diversionary tactic from the ODM boss's 'political missteps'.
The escalating war of words between the two parties, which were once allied, highlights the deepening rift between Kalonzo and Raila, despite the Wiper boss consistently maintaining that there was no bad blood between the two leaders, despite their political factions.
As far as Raila's whereabouts, speculations were rife on Friday when it emerged that he was missing in action at a time when the ODM party was gearing up towards its much-anticipated 20th anniversary, culminating in its eventual postponement on Saturday.
The event, which was scheduled for between October 10 and 12 in Mombasa, was postponed to between November 14 and 16.
