NASA leader Raila Odinga. [PHOTO/the-star.co.ke]
The call by NASA leaders urging their supporters to boycott some products, the country has again found itseld divided on whether to heed the call or not.
Earlier, the NASA bridage had listed Safaricom, Bidco and Brookside as the companies whose products were to be shunned by faithfuls of the coalition in a bid to have their way.
Kenyans took to social media, some immediately posting that they had implemented while others said it was a call in futility.
"Nasikia mumeambiwa mugomee safaricom, bidhaa za bidco na brookside, sasa nauliza na kazi pia mutaacha mulio ajiriwa na kampuni hizo ili tutume maombi ya kazi mapema, au ni baniani mbaya kiatu chake dawa?" asked one Swahibul Iman, a poet.
This loosely translates as: "I hear you have been told to boycott Safaricom, Bidco and Brookside products. But will you also boycott their jobs?"
Elgeyo Marakwet senator Kipchumba Murkomen on his part said that the boycott was just a means NASA was using to force companies to give them money.
"NASA leaders led by Tinga soliciting bribes from companies to avoid naming them in the boycott list. It's not boycott. They are just broke," he said.
Another user Shujaa Jackobus supported the boycot. He wrote:
"Boycott Brookside products like milk. Porridge is healthy. ..Alternative, Ugali and Omena in the morning, then porridge."
Another user Arthur Bells argued that the boycott call against Safaricom was not going to be effected since the network providers were the only ones well covered in Raila's Nyanza stronghold.
"Now that baba has declared Safaricom illegal, I was wondering what will happen to those Mpesa stalls in Luo Nyanza (kwingine ni uongo tu!). I think Raila has tested his supporters far too much by asking them to boycott Safaricom. Hizo zingine it's very easy to do without, but Safaricom? Uongo!" he argued.
Jusper Moindi said:
"As 'WE' boycott these products and services listed by NASA, should those employees in these companies who support NASA also pack and go (quit their jobs) as part of the "Resistance"? And will NASA secure alternative jobs for them? Or are there no NASA supporters who work in these companies? What a parochial mindset from NASA! A riddle has been riddled, let's see how many will unriddle it— let's see who's fooling Kenyans."