OPPONENTS OF RAILA-UHURU PACT GRASPING AT STRAWS LIKE SARAH ELDERKIN’S CRITICISM OF MIGUNA
In an article today, Sarah Elderkin – a former senior aide to Mr. Raila Odinga now living in England for some years – contends that the government was right to refuse entry to Miguna Miguna last month as he refused to present his Canadian passport to immigration officials at JKIA.
Ms Elderkin obviously has the right to express her opinion. But sections of the media are making the absurd contention that Ms Elderkin consulted Mr. Odinga and obtained his support for taking that position on Mr. Miguna! A “political analyst”, among others, is prominently quoted as saying that Mr. Odinga supported the government’s denying re-entry to Mr. Miguna but could not say so himself as he would lose support from his followers, so Ms Elderkin was speaking on his behalf.
Such assertions, made without a shred of evidence, are laughable but scurrilous as well. Mr. Odinga has repeatedly shown that he believes Mr. Miguna should have been allowed to return home, and in fact took a huge risk in going to JKIA to try to help Miguna enter the country. He has also highlighted that the former Immigration Minister, the late Otieno Kajwang, made an authoritative decision on Mr. Miguna’s Kenyan nationality.
These utterly baseless accusations about Mr. Odinga’s position on Miguna are clearly aimed at undermining Mr. Odinga’s standing and the far-reaching initiative he has undertaken with President Uhuru Kenyatta to restore inclusion, democracy and the rule of law to Kenya. There is no other viable option that exists at the moment to achieve that fervently-sought goal, and no one has been able to present another scenario that could achieve this. Mr. Odinga was prepared to put his entire legacy at risk for this one last opportunity to make Kenya a much better place.
There are obviously numerous entrenched interests that are fighting this initiative, and grasping at every straw to undermine him. Including trying to paint him as being in favour of denying re-entry to Mr. Miguna on the basis of an article a former aide wrote.
Salim Lone, Adviser,
H.E. Raila Odinga
