MP claims Raila will still contest 2017 polls

By Nick Oluoch

Migori, Kenya: Suna East MP Mohamed Junet has hinted that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga will contest the presidency in 2017.

Mr Junet said the former premier will be CORD’s presidential candidate. Speaking in Sagegi, Suna East constituency, Junet, a close confidant of the ODM leader, said Raila will be making his fourth attempt at the top seat and that the party had agreed to back him.

“Raila deserves to crown his immense contribution to the country by serving a single term as the county’s President,” Junet said, adding that Raila had sacrificed a lot for the country and it was important that Kenyans appreciated what he had done.

Saying the ODM leader had sacrificed his life and family for the country, Junet said it was important Kenyans realised that the devolution fruits they were enjoying at the moment had all been brought by the former Langata MP.

He further dismissed those raising issues to do with Raila’s age, saying leadership was not all about age but that there were several leaders who were still ruling and yet were much older than Raila.

Giving the example of former South African President, the late Nelson Mandela, who became President at an advanced age, Junet said there is nothing to stop an elderly person from being President provided they have ideas that could move the country forward.

He also hit out at leaders who he said were out trying to undermine Raila with a view to replacing him as the party leader, saying he could only be replaced when he eventually exits from active politics.

Junet maintained that while leaders in the region were open to fund raising events being conducted in the region, they were, however, keen to ensure that the fundraisers were of “good intention”.

“We would like to caution leaders from organising fundraisers that are meant to undermine other leaders from the region,” he said, adding that as leaders from the county, all they wanted was for the area to not only develop, but also remain united.

He further said that no region had developed because of fundraisers, and that anybody who wanted to see the area develop had to put in place policies to encourage growth besides merely organising fundraising events.

He was speaking after attending a meeting held to discuss the constituency’s development.