Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga. He has accused Jubilee of buying Opposition politicians into Jubilee. [Photo: ODM/Facebook]
National Super Alliance (NASA) leader Raila Odinga is fast losing his influence, a Jubilee Senator has said.
According to Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika, the many leaders defecting from NASA to Jubilee is a clear indication that Raila's political clout is fading away.
"Some politicians have realised there is nothing much Raila has to offer and they need to chart their own political destiny away from him," Kihika said.
In the last two weeks, two high-profile politicians have abandoned Raila for President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Former Kajiado Governor David Nkedianye, who was an ODM point man in the county, recently joined the ruling party, vowing to conduct aggressive campaigns for Kenyatta in the region where Raila enjoy majority support.
Also, former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar has cut ties with the Opposition joining Jubilee.
He had earlier resigned as the Secretary-General of Kalonzo Musyoka's Wiper party.
Political analyst and a political science lecturer Philip Chebunet, during an interview with The Standard, said Omar's move had completely disoriented NASA at the Coast.
"It means that if Raila will be on the ballot on October 26, he must come up with a very clever strategy to counter Omar's defection. As it stands now, the Opposition has been weakened," Chebunet said.
Raila has however downplayed the defections, accusing President Kenyatta of buying the leaders who lost the last elections.
"Jubilee has set aside money from the Treasury called Jubilee Defectors Fund. It is an auction," he said recently.