African Union’s High Representative for Infrastructure Development Raila Odinga in a candid interview took a swipe on Deputy President Dr William Ruto’s rhetoric that he is a ‘hustler’ among dynasties.
In an interview by Tony Gachoka on KTN, the NASA principal discredited widespread claims peddled by DP Ruto allies that the deputy president should be given a chance as he is from a humble background.
TG: Let me get to the most important question. The Odinga dynasty, the Kenyatta dynasty, the Moi dynasty that your opponents are always alluding to. They say they come from the hustler nation and Odinga comes from the dynasty…
Raila: That is the biggest myth… (laughs). Dynasties used to exist in medieval Europe and the Middle East, but never existed in Africa. If you take, for example, Kenyatta, Jomo Kenyatta was from a very humble background. Mungai was not known.
Kenyatta himself was a metre reader in Nairobi before he left for the United Kingdom. He died in the office when Uhuru was about 17 years. If it was a dynasty, at that age he would have been crowned the prince. Jaramogi came from a very poor background.
He was a teacher, resigned from teaching and became a businessman then became a freedom fighter. He became a vice president for a short period of time, then went to the opposition.
All these years he was taken to prison, and when he was reelected he served for only one year then died, and left Raila.
How is Raila a beneficiary of the dynasty? Where does the dynasty come from? If anything else, the Odingas have given more than what they have gotten from the society. It is a very tired subject.
TG: So the hustler should look for another subject?
Raila: Mmmmm… that is a very tired subject.