The Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency Odoyo Owidi has alleged that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga mismanaged the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) nominations during the 2022 general elections.
In a statement, Owidi claimed that Raila pocketed cash to favour some of the candidates during the party primaries.
Owidi recalled how he confronted his then party leader in his office days to the 2022 ODM party nominations.
This was after Raila had excluded his constituency, Kasipul from party nominations.
“We walked to the lift, he drew his phone and called Junet Mohammed, put him on speaker phone and asked him to include Kasipul constituency among those constituencies in which nominations would take place. The moment he put Junet on the speaker phone, I knew he was managing me,” said Owidi.
Nevertheless, Owidi explained that he managed the situation too and walked away.
However, Owiti said the former Prime Minister phoned Junet again after he had left and told him to forget about the aspirant (Owidi).
“That was cowardice, he could have just told me to my face that my opponent had paid him such good money that he could not take him through the rigours of nominations against the most popular man in the constituency,” wrote Owidi.
Raila Dismissed Advises -Owidi
Further, Owidi opined that Raila was the second most powerful man in Kenya that time.
For this reason, he alleged that the Azimio presidential candidate would dismiss every advice or suggestion with the most derogatory words possible.
Nonetheless, he said Luo politicians would still thank and apologize to Raila.
“He held almost every Luo by the scrotum and literally chose for them all cadre of leaders. The Luo only registered as voters to vote for Raila and endorse his choices,” he added.
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Wilson Airport Drama
Owidi went ahead to narrate how he met the ODM leader for the first time since the incident at Wilson Airport VIP Lounge on Saturday, December 16.
He said Raila was a pale shadow of the arrogant man who read half of his cabinet long before the 2022 elections were held.
Furthermore, he recalled how Raila used to have a beehive of activity around himself whenever he made a public appearance during the 2022 elections.
“I did not hear his voice nor see him sit down, I only noticed the sadness on his face on seeing the man he threw under the bus after emptying his pockets, sitting on the very seat he would have loved to sit on,” he said.
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Again, he mentioned that the Azimio leader has shortchanged five times in the years 2005, 2007, 2013, 2017 and 2022.
Owidi recalled how people would rise upon the arrival of Raila on any occasion prior to the elections.
He also remembered how Raila visited Luo Nyanza with a high-powered delegation of non-Luo politicians.
At Wilson, Owidi stated that the only non-Luo who was in Raila’s delegation was Junet Mohamed and his preferred successor National Assembly Majority Leader Opiyo Wandayi.
“We sat at the VIP lounge at Wilson Airport and continued with our stories like the room had not receive any new VIP.
The normalcy that prevailed during his arrival was as if to justify the adage ‘respect is earned’,” said Owidi.
Long Live Ruto
He praised President William Ruto stating that he should live long to watch the Luo prosper after the exit of Raila.
President Ruto appointed Owidi to his current position in March 2023.
He is a former Chair of the Lake Basin Development Authority.
