Veteran politician and scion of Luo politics Raila Amollo Odinga has criticized the community for putting emphasis on lavish burials to the financial detriment of the bereaved.
Speaking at Asembo Nyilima, in Siaya County Raila said the cost of ostentatious burials is eating into the region’s economy and rendering the community poverty-stricken.
“Last week we were at the burial of so-and-so and hundreds of thousands were spent on the burial costs, this week and next week the same. We need to get the Luo Council of Elders to urgently give the way forward on this matter,” said Raila Odinga.
Less than two decades ago burials in Luoland were cheap, decent affairs where the solemnity resonated with a respectable sendoff. With the advent of outside catering, expensive hearses and lowering gear, burials in Luoland have turned into fanciful affairs reminiscent of Nollywood movie sets.
The doyen of Kenya’s opposition politics also shocked the crowd when he contradicted his elder brother Oburu Oginga by saying the official ODM Party position was that they were in opposition and not in government.
The elder Odinga recently held a presser where he criticized those opposed to the broadbased government and singled-out for brickbats, the Siaya Governor James Aggrey Bob Orengo.
“Am here to convey greetings from Governor Orengo who is still out of the country in India. I spoke to him yesterday and this morning and he asked me to bring his condolences,” said Raila, adding “Oburu speaks about something called broadbased. I don’t know what he’s talking about because am not in government. Am free to speak my mind.”
Right from the time that Raila signed a 10-point pact to work with UDA Party majority of Kenyans have been grumbling. The shrewd politician has always stood on the side of wananchi and it was just a matter of time before he puts the KK administration in it’s place.
An editorial in one of Kenya’s leading dailies aptly put it that it is president Ruto who should watch out such that the scenario where Raila amalgamated his NDP Party with KANU only to exit after decimating KANU into a shell does not repeat itself.
By bluntly supporting his trenches comrade James Aggrey Bob Orengo, Raila has put to rest an incessant debate within Siaya County that CS James Opiyo Wandayi was being groomed by the Odinga’s for anything.
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