Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Tuesday evening held a tense meeting with a section of his supporters who were unhappy with Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho.
Odinga held the meeting with members of the Luo Community in Mombasa County who expressed their frustration over what they termed as continued oppression by Joho.
The meeting came a few days after three MCAs from the community were expelled from the county assembly committees for what was termed as disloyalty to area governor.
Odinga’s meeting was attended by members of his community including political leaders, business people, and elders.
They explained to the ODM leader that their support for Joho in the 2013 election had not been reciprocated.
“We had an agreement that we would have a big stake in government because of our vote strength,” Mikindani MCA Duncan Onyango stated.
Onyango added that after the election, Joho had rewarded the community with a number of lucrative posts, only to start firing their sons and daughters a year later.
“Tubmun Otieno, Thaddeus Rajwayi, Joab Tumbo, Alome Achayo, Christine Atego, Walter Oselu, Martin Odhiambo, Charles Suji, among others, were all sacked for no good reason,” the agitated county legislator complained in reference to senior members of his community who had lost top senior positions in the Joho administration.
The top offcials including the assembly speaker, the county executives, and heads of parastatals were replaced by members of the local coastal communities.
After expressing their frustations, the community leaders assured Odinga that they would vote for him in the Presidential vote but warned him not to campaign for Joho’s re-election.
On his part, Odinga encouraged those in attendance to remain united as Luos and register as voters in large numbers so that they can defeat the Jubilee regime in this year’s General Election.
“Unity is strength. The Luo community has been united for more than 100 years. It is not only the Luo who are tired. All Kenyans countrywide are tired.” Odinga stated at the meeting held at Mombasa's Jubilee Hall.
