Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga on Saturday thanked the legislators from his camp who helped pass the Finance Bill, 2018 - a gesture that has riled up a section of Kenyans.
In a statement sent by Spokesperson Dennis Onyango, Raila lauded the MPs who stood by the party's position during the session that was anything but pleasant.
"Raila Odinga wishes to thank all Orange Democratic Movement members of Parliament who observed the principle of party discipline and stood by the Party and NASA’s resolutions to back the Finance Bill in the National Assembly on Thursday.
"Mr Odinga, therefore, thanks those members who, despite different concerns, were able to honour their word and commitment to the party and looked at the larger picture in line with the party and the coalition’s dream of finding longer-term solutions to the country’s ages old problems," the statement read in part.
His words, however, did not augur well with a section of Kenyans online who described the former Prime Minister as a 'sell-out.'
"Continue building bridges, by the time Uhuru's term ends you'll realize there will be nobody to use your bridge," one user noted referring to the joint initiative by Raila and President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Another posed; "So why does Mr kitendawili keep crying when he is rigged yet the vile in parliament was a broad daylight sham? does he still believe in democratic values? I can not wait for his presser in 2022 crying and asking us to go to the streets that victory has been stolen again."
Others pointed out that a number of MPs from his party were visibly against the proposal.
"How was it in good faith? We saw Millie Odhiambo and Otiende Amollo lament how the vote in parliament was stolen. Are you saying ODM is celebrating this theft or what are you talking about! Which ODM Party is this?" a netizen lamented.
"So building bridges is all abt tormenting Kenyans with high taxes, impunity and theft! So if u accept what happened in the parliament as right why didn’t u accept Uhuru's win, the rigging was the same," another quipped.
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