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Gem Member of Parliament Elisha Odhiambo has called on younger politicians from Nyanza to charismatically dethrone the opposition leader Raila Odinga from the region’s political kingpin-ship.
The lawmaker argued that Raila has unsuccessfully tried his best to ascend to the presidency but is now old and has lost his political mojo.
The ODM legislator said that other notable leaders from Nyanza who coalesce around Raila are equally senior citizens with no fresh ideas on how to lead a people.
“Even Raila was not given the Luo leadership by his father. He took it by force when his father, Oginga Odinga, was planning to hand the opportunity over to James Orengo (now Siaya County governor),” Elisha asserted.
He emphasized that nobody should sit in their comfort zone and expect the opportunity to succeed Raila locates them.
“Majority of other leaders from Nyanza are old men. Time is ripe and we (younger politicians) must position ourselves to take over,” Elisha added.
Raila, the MP argued, is likely to get an international job courtesy of President William Ruto’s administration and that that will occasion a political leadership vacuum amongst the Luo.
The MP who has since pledged his support for the ruling regime averred that the current anti-government protests being called by Raila will not remove President Ruto from power.
The only product of the protests, Elisha claimed, are “deaths of our young people”.
At least four youths from Gem Constituency succumbed to bullet wounds following the recent wave of anti-government protests that had been called by Azimio la Umoja coalition.
Two of whom were interred last Saturday; with Opposition chief Raila paying his last respect to David Omondi, 34, at his Ahono home in East Gem Ward.
“It is very unfortunate and sad that today we have buried two people from Gem who passed on during last month’s maandamano. It is painful that our work as Luos is to bury those who have been killed!” he said.
Elisha noted that as a leader who abhors the protests, contributed sh30, 000 towards the burial arrangements of young people from extremely poor backgrounds who were killed during the protests.
He urged the youth to be cautious with their lives because its not worth the sacrifice.
“If the leadership is very serious then they should put their children on the frontline so that if we are burying their children then we can say that even them and their families have also made a big sacrifice,” Elisha said. BY THE STAR