MPs clash before Raila at church funds drive

Cord leader Raila Odinga (centre) with MPs and supporters at Kadika SDA church in Migori County at the launch of the signature collection drive for the referendum, on Saturday. Two legislators clashed in front of Cord leader Raila Odinga over the invitation of leaders to a fund-raiser. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • “Raila is a big man to be accompanied by only a handful of MPs like this. Next time, try to involve everybody so that we move forward as a team,” said Mr Kobado.
  • A section of the crowd was overheard saying that leaders should sort out their differences in boardrooms and not before voters.

Two legislators clashed in front of Cord leader Raila Odinga over the invitation of leaders to a fund-raiser.

Mr John Kobado (Uriri) kicked up a storm when he accused his Suna East counterpart Junet Mohammed of not sufficiently involving local leaders in organising the Kadika SDA church funds drive at the weekend.

Mr Kobado said most MPs from the county snubbed the event because they felt they had been sidelined in the preparations.

“Raila is a big man to be accompanied by only a handful of MPs like this. Next time, try to involve everybody so that we move forward as a team,” said Mr Kobado.

But Mr Mohammed, who was the host and master of ceremony, told Mr Kobado that he had invited all the leaders from the region.

“I wrote to all the leaders. If we have guests from as far as Busia here, let nobody have an excuse for not attending this function,” said the Suna East MP.
Mr Mohammed said he could not force anybody to attend the function.

Out of the nine MPs from Migori County, only Mr Mohammed and Mr Kobado attended the event. Some sent their donations through friends.

PUSH FOR REFERENDUM
A section of the crowd was overheard saying that leaders should sort out their differences in boardrooms and not before voters.

Mr Odinga steered clear of the matter.

He, instead, took the people through constitutional amendment stages as he launched the collection of one million signatures in the push for referendum.

Two visiting leaders from the neighbouring Homa Bay County, Suba MP John Mbadi and Woman Representative Gladys Wanga, said the referendum train had left the station and would not stop until it reached its destination.