Raila allies disagree over legality of image on new currency

Raila Odinga with Suna MP Mahamed Junet at a funds drive and launch of Women, Youth, and PWD Economic Empowerment in Wajir County. [Emmanuel Wanson/Standard]

The inclusion of Jomo Kenyatta’s statue on the new currency has split ODM members, with close allies of party leader Raila Odinga clashing over the matter.

At the weekend, National Assembly Minority Leader John Mbadi, his Senate counterpart James Orengo and ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna opposed the inclusion of the founding father’s image, terming it unconstitutional and vowing to fight it.

But yesterday, MPs led by Minority Whip Junet Mohamed (Suna East), Tom Kajwang' (Ruaraka), Peter Kaluma (Homa Bay), James Nyikal (Seme) and Samuel Atandi (Alego Usonga) said the remarks by the leaders were their personal opinions and did not represent the position of the party.

They termed the remarks as "funeral outbursts that do not have the blessings of the party", while labelling themselves "lawyers of the political party".

This as The Standard learnt that the MPs were under instruction to distant the party from the dissenting views, which, it was feared, could be wrongly interpreted and strain the relationship between Raila and President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Nyando MP Jared Okello, who is with Raila in the United Kingdom, also sent a statement declaring support for the new currency and stating that the strategy to withdraw old Sh1,000 notes would boost the war against corruption.

“I fully support the Central Bank of Kenya’s demonitisation agenda to rid the country of corrupt proceedings and money laundering. The war on graft isn’t easy to win. Lots of strategies must be employed. We have to fully embrace this new scheme,” said Mr Okello.

Speaking at Parliament Buildings, Mr Junet said that what was on the new notes was not the image of Kenyatta but a sculpture that is part of the iconic Kenyatta International Convention Centre.

“The war on corruption must be fought; we must support the President in this fight. Raising mundane and peripheral issues such as legality of the currency is retrogressive and meant to scuttle the main agenda, as if corruption is in itself legal. The President should ignore such noises that only derail the war,” said Junet.

Mr Nyikal said those opposed to the new currency were out to derail the war against corruption.