ODM Leader Raila Odinga has shrugged off claims by a section of Members of Parliament from the Mount Kenya region over alleged unwillingness to market him in the region.
The former premier was making reference to a letter the legislators wrote to President Uhuru Kenyatta stating that they are not ready to popularise 'Baba' in the Mt Kenya region.
While addressing the media on January 30, 2021, the ODM leader stated that he had not assigned any persons duties to market him in Central Kenya, neither does he need their support to popularise him in the region.
Raila stated that he does not require permission from anyone to tour any part of this country, Mt Kenya included, and nobody would stop him from doing so.
"No one asked them to market Raila in Central Kenya, if Raila wants to market himself in Central, he does not need them to do that,” Raila Odinga stated.
The ODM leader took note of the political tension emanating from rallies in the country, reiterating that it is among the agendas the Building Bridges Initiatives (BBI) is seeking to eradicate.
On January 28, the 41 MPs from Mt. Kenya had told President Kenyatta that it would be a hard sell to push Raila Odinga as a presidential candidate in the Mt. Kenya region.
They had alleged that the region was reluctant in accepting the handshake especially after Uhuru's previous adversarial relationship with the ODM leader in the past presidential elections.
"For 8 years, between 2011 and 2018, you consistently and persistently cautioned us that Raila Odinga was Kenya’s foremost problem, and pleaded with us to send him home for the country to move forward," they had stated, further accusing the former premier of spearheading divisive politics as a means of achieving power.
Raila dismissed their allegations while he attended the burial of a former classmate, the late Joshua Ogendi, at Nyakasumbi village in Bondo sub-county.
He urged Members of County Assemblies from the 47 devolved units in the country to endorse the Constitution Amendment Bill 2020 (BBI) and allow for change in the country. He advised them to ignore the political narratives flung around by leaders in the country.
Raila's brother, Oburu Odinga, who was also in attendance, stated that President Kenyatta's support of Raila would only be an advantage, not mandatory.
Oburu noted that during the Head of State's meeting in Sagana, he did not admit to not supporting Deputy President William Ruto in the coming elections.
