Isiolo Women representative Rehema Jaldesa addressing Journalists in Garissa town. The leaders have accused Raila of extorting cash from companies. (Photo-Victor Wanaswa)
Legislators from Isiolo and Garissa Counties are now accusing opposition leader Raila Odinga of using unorthodox means to extort bribes from top companies, as they seek favours to be excluded in NRM’s products boycott plan.
The three legislators, Rehema Dida Jaldesa (Isiolo County Women Rep), Abdi Koropu (Isiolo South MP) and Mohamed Hirre (Lagdera MP) hit out at the ‘boycott’ decision, terming it as an exercise in futility.
Speaking to Journalists shortly after a peace meeting between herders from Lagdera constituency in Garissa County and their neighbours from Isiolo South Constituency, Isiolo Women representative Rehema Jaldesa accused Mr Odinga of trying to coerce Brookside, Bidco and Safaricom to part with money in order for them to be vindicated from the products boycott.
She said that Mr Odinga’s brand of politics has always been that of coercion and extortion, adding that those who have ever worked close to him before can attest to her allegations.
She described the boycott decision as a stunt to galvanize a substantial amount of money for his retirement package and declared that she would also stop buying gas products from East Africa Spectre Company that is owned by the Odinga Family.
She asked the management of the victimized companies to resist the ‘trap’ and remain steadfast as only a handful of NRM followers will heed the boycott call.
Isiolo South Member of Parliament Abdi Koropu argued that the opposition supporters’ boycott plan will only affect the economy if they manage to boycott all products in entirety. He said that if they boycott Safaricom and move to Airtel, the nation will still draw excise tax, the same as if they boycott Brookside and buy from Tuzo.
She said that unless Raila has his own economy outside the Country, then the economic sabotage plan through products boycott will only remain a joke since they can’t stop consuming rival products.
Lagdera MP Mohamed Hirre described the decision as weird since the opposition leaders were out to punish their own supporters as they opted to consume the products for their own convenience. He said that several NRM supporters were drawing an earning from the same companies that they seek to bring down, adding that the opposition leaders had run out of ideas.
National Cohesion and Integration Commission’s Morris Dzoro held that the current political wrangles that have moved to a new level of products boycott would only serve to make lives of poor Kenyans more difficult, as those who came up with the decision will have no struggles coping with the changes they announce.