National Super Alliance (NASA) Presidential candidate Raila Odinga came to the defence of President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday during the Presidential Debate held at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa.
One of the moderators, Linus Kaikai, asked Raila whether his family and that of Kenyatta had held Kenyan politics hostage for a long time, referring to the leadership of Mr Odinga's father Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and Kenyatta's father the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.
"...you come from a family, one of two families that have for the last 50years (plus) dominated Kenyan politics.
"How would you respond to perceptions that these two families have held Kenyan politics hostage literally and with two characteristics; one family moving with a sense of entitlement in terms of leadership and another with a sense of victimhood, entitlement on the Kenyatta family and victimhood on the Oginga family?" asked Mr Kaikai.
In response, the Opposition chief rubbished the claims saying he was among those who fought for the second liberation out of conviction and not invitation.
He went further to clarify Uhuru's situation saying the President was introduced to politics by former President Daniel Arap Moi who wanted him as his heir but went on to build a legacy for himself.
"He (Uhuru) is not here because his father brought him into this stage.
"He is a Kenyan. It is unfair to refer to this as holding the country hostage," said Odinga.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader also mentioned that his late father and Mzee Kenyatta got into power because of their heroics during the fight for independence and not by virtue of their families
"I think they are very misconceived perceptions. Jomo Kenyatta initially was a freedom fighter and was imprisoned by the colonialists for 9 years.
"Jaramogi, on the other hand, became a freedom fighter and fought for the release of Kenyatta.
"...when Kenyatta was released he became the President and Jaramogi became the Vice-President. They earned those positions by virtue of the fact that they sacrificed for the freedom of this country," he remarked.
President Kenyatta did not show up for the debate and got a lot of stick from Kenyans on various social media platforms who wanted him to account for his tenure as President.
Read More: Uhuru Shamed After Snubbing Presidential Debate
Here is the video:
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