Former Transport Principal Secretary, Irungu Nyakera, has poked holes in the meeting between presidential hopeful and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader, Raila Odinga, and the Mt Kenya Foundation leaders.
Nyakera on Wednesday, September 29, stated that the Raila meeting was not inclusive and criticised the organizers for not allowing attendees to ask questions.
Further, the former PS pointed out that that the planners expected everyone who attended the meeting to endorse the ODM leader.
Nyakera noted that young people from Mt Kenya were not well represented in the list of speakers as well as women. He stated that only one woman was given the opportunity to address the congregants.
The former PS opined that young people do not relate to Raila's message on the struggle for independence and the freedom activists who delivered Kenya from colonial jaws.
"Raila said youth lack experience and that’s why they should remain patient as the elders speak to them. Youth want someone to speak to their current struggles of joblessness and hopelessness."
"Raila’s message was dry and won’t work for the majority of the youth. Youth aren’t interested in what happened to Jaramogi, Achieng Oneko and Kenyatta in 1948 and 1952," the former Transport PS stated.
Nyakera warned that the people selling Raila in Mt Kenya do not wish him well and advised him to find a new team that will make him relatable to young voters.
"Baba has now been demystified and looks electable even in Mt Kenya. I also think Baba is not a bad man. But the people selling him don’t mean well for him. They are not in touch with Wanjiku. He should sack them and find new advisers."
Odinga, on Tuesday, September 28, met with opinion leaders from the Mt Kenya region during a forum that was held at a city hotel.
Among the community leaders present were billionaire businessmen whose combined net worth would match the GDP of a small country.
Media mogul S.K. Macharia, who spoke at the meeting, asked Raila to prioritise young people when he clinches the presidency in 2022.
Macharia urged Raila to promise young people that he would not associate with corrupt people and give them opportunities to build themselves.
Using himself as an example, the Citizen TV boss noted that he was given the opportunity to work in government when he was young and he utilised it well to get to his current status.
He told the Mount Kenya Foundation that he hoped President Uhuru Kenyatta would hand over power to Raila since he went looking for him and they formed the now famous handshake.
