A video of Zambian politician Fred M'membe speaking against Azimio presidential flagbearer Raila Odinga has gone viral after he claimed the former Premier is a puppet of international mining companies.
Kenyans.co.ke has established M'membe, who is the president of the Socialist Party, made the allegations on Wednesday, June 22, during an conference whose main topic was Mining for Change.
While speaking on how foreign companies were expanding their mandate by going into governance, he listed Odinga among leaders in the region being sponsored by the Brenthurst foundation.
"They are sponsoring puppets in all these Bantustan countries including South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia and I can prove it. If anyone wants to challenge me, I am ready.
"They are trying to sponsor puppets in Kenya in the coming elections. The foundation has gone there with some Zambians from State House, where they are supporting Odinga Raila," he stated.
M'membe stated that the foundation in question was a subsidiary of Anglo American, a British mining firm he claimed was started by former colonial master Cecil Rhodes.
According to the Zambian national, the foreign mining companies funded candidates whom they felt would would allow them to continue micro-managing countries on the continent.
"It is because they have been governing for centuries directly and indirectly and now with the minerals in this region, we will see more trouble. There are armies behind that, they are coming," he declared.
The journalist turned politician added that having the head of a government by their side enables them pay minimal or even evade paying taxes to the host countries.
"They shift the profits to where it is not taxable or attract very little tax and have mastered how to creat echains of companies without any formal legal connection so you have nothing to tax," he stated.
M'membe's sentiments came a week after Zambian Head of State Hakainde Hichilema visited Kenya in June.
In September 2021, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i visited the country to deliver a special message from President Uhuru Kenyatta - to garner support for CS Monica Juma's candidature for the post of the Secretary-General for the Commonwealth of Nations.
Raila also enjoys a cordial relationship with Hichilema, and flew out to Zambia in August 2021 to attend his swearing in ceremony after we won the presidential poll on his fifth trial.
