Leaders urged to conduct issue based campaigns as Obama

The ODM Reloaded team has urged Kenya’s presidential aspirants to borrow a leaf from the just concluded US presidential election and conduct issued based campaigns.

Nine MPs belonging to the reloaded team, while congratulating Mr Obama for his victory, said he won because his campaigns were based on issues, something that can benefit Kenya if aspiring candidates can learn from it.

“In Kenya, we have seen personalised attacks and vendetta driven politics and we urge all candidates to borrow a leaf from the Obama campaign,” said Youth Affairs and Sports Minister, Mr Ababu Namwamba, a key member of the reloaded team.

Addressing the press at Parliament Buildings, the team said ODM’s presidential aspirant Raila Odinga had suffered the biggest brunt of personalised attacks from opponents.

“We are aware that certain presidential candidates would want to anchor their campaigns on the basis of emotions and raw passions, they spread shameful lies about others blaming their rivals of all imaginary lies,” said Mr Ababu who spoke on behalf of the group.

They accused United Republican Party’s William Ruto of being at the frontline ‘attacking Mr Odinga with lies.’

The team cited the International Criminal Court (ICC) as one area where PM Odinga has been accused falsely, arguing that he openly supported a locally driven process in an effort that was defeated thrice in Parliament. Read (Uhuru, Ruto dismiss PM Odinga on ICC trials)

“It is the same MPs who are now accusing him of taking the ICC suspects to The Hague who concocted an interesting tune of don’t be vague, go to Hague,” said Mr Namwamba.

The team also said PM Odinga has been wrongly accused on the Mau evictions.

The MPs said the PM was ready to engage his opponents on issues and not personal vendetta.

“Raila Odinga is ready for you, but not on a platform of lies and sickening propaganda. He is ready to engage you on a platform of issues that reflect Kenyans’ interests,” the group said.

Speaking at Wednesday's press briefing, Mr Namwamba said it is not true that Mr Odinga has been seeking an alliance with Mr Ruto, claiming it was the URP leader who sought an appointment with him.

“There is a lie that has been peddling out there that Raila Odinga has been desperately looking for Ruto. It is Ruto who sought an appointment through a mutual friend and they met and talked…the truth of the matter is that details of their talks have not been published yet,” he said.

He said Mr Odinga was keen to engage with different people for regional and community representation in his presidential campaign.

“If there have been offers in terms of presidential campaign participation, that offer hasn’t been about individuals but bringing regions and communities on the table,” he stated. “In this case, it is about the Kalenjin people and not Ruto,” he said.
He accused Mr Ruto of ‘twisting’ everything that the PM says.

“It is turning out to be a vendetta war against the PM,” he said.

And referring to a recent apology statement from the PM which has been widely criticised, the team said the PM did not in any way imply that he was guilty.

“Please leave the PM alone. He did not offer an apology because he has killed anybody or eaten anyone’s goats. That he said he was seeking forgiveness doesn’t mean someone is guilty of committing a crime,” said Mr Namwamba.

Present at the press conference were Kipkelion MP Magerer Langat, Kisauni MP Ali Hassan Joho, Nominated MP Millie Odhiambo-Mabona, assistant minister and Gwassi MP John Mbadi, Rangwe MP Martin Ogindo, assistant minister and Turkana East MP Josephat Nanok and Ndhiwa MP Agostino Neto.

The team will be hosting a Reloaded night at Carnivore Grounds this Saturday to celebrate Mr Obama’s victory.