NRM leader Raila Odinga. [Photo/ citizentv.co.ke]
People who support the National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition are likely to endure the most suffering following Raila Odinga’s decision to call for an economic boycott on some products.
Raila, the leader of the newly transformed National Resistance Army (NRM), accuses a number of successful companies of supporting the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta. He has therefore asked Kenyans who support his the opposition to boycott the products and services of those corporates. The long list of companies includes Safaricom, Bidco, Brookside among others.
But who would suffer most was this futile exercise to become successful? Certainly not supporters of Jubilee. The companies, who are targeted by NRM goons, are likely to move out or scale down operations in Luo Nyanza, where the militia are most active. This is because of looting and destruction of property fears.
Mpesa shops, for instance, will likely close down in parts of Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay and Migori because of lacking customers or for fear of being robbed. And what is the effect of that? Massive unemployment in those counties. This is partly why Raila has been called the “lord of poverty” by political scientist Mutahi Ngunyi.
ODM chairman John Mbadi, when asked how the NASA families who depend on the companies for their livelihood will survive during the economic boycott campaign, became quite speechless. He was unable to clearly say what will happen to the NASA supporters who work for the companies on Raila’s list. He failed to say how the opposition will help the families put food on their tables.
NASA’s former candidate for the Nairobi senatorial seat, Edwin Sifuna, has urged opposition supporters working for the firms to resign — to clear their conscience. He did not say if the coalition had any alternative employment opportunities for the employees.