Jomo and Jaramogi were also hustlers - Raila

 

The country's founding father Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and first vice-president Jaramogi Oginga Odinga were hustlers, ODM leader Raila Odinga has said.

While dismissing the hustler nation movement synonymous with Deputy President William Ruto, Raila said people must come from nothing to become someone.

"Mzee Jomo Kenyatta was a water meter reader before he was thrown in prison for seven years before leading the country to freedom and independence," he said.

Raila also said Oginga's parents could not afford fees while the late President Daniel Moi came from poverty in Sacho before he was taken up by missionaries.

"Even Kibaki was a hustler he served as a bus conductor to become a President."

The opposition chief while eulogising the late mama Hannah said the wheelbarrow could not save Kenya.

The wheelbarrow has mostly been associated with the DP who has used it in his campaigns and is also the party symbol of the newly registered United Democratic Alliance that was this week unveiled by his allies.

“Mambo ya wheelbarrow haiwezi leta ukombozi katika taifa letu… Let’s come together as Kenyans and talk as Kenyans; That is what will deliver the dreams of our nation’s founding fathers,” Raila said.

Raila who spoke on Saturday at the funeral of ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi's mother in Vihiga County said Kenya needs sober leaders who will unite the nation as a whole and not dwelling on local politics.

The ODM leader took the opportunity to recount his long journey with Mudavadi and how he has worked with the ANC leader in various political camps.

He said he worked with Mudavadi during the constitutional amendment in 2005, and they jointly headed together in ODM to the 2007 General Election.

However in 2013 Musalia went to the ballot by himself where he managed to garner over 400,000 votes countrywide coming in the third behind President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga.

In 2017 Mudavadi once again came together with Raila under Nasa team where they lost to President Uhuru Kenyatta.