Hotelier ejects Raila’s team
Langata MP Raila Odinga (left) with Liberal Democratic Party secretary-general Mumbi Ng’aru and Gachoka MP Joseph Nyaga at the funeral of an ODM official in Mathira yesterday.
Orange Democratic Movement politician Raila Odinga and a team of party officials were yesterday thrown out of a hotel in Karatina Town owned by President Kibaki’s relative.
Langata MP Raila Odinga (left) with Liberal Democratic Party secretary-general Mumbi Ng’aru and Gachoka MP Joseph Nyaga at the funeral of an ODM official in Mathira yesterday. They were later ejected from a hotel where they had gone for lunch.
Photo/ PAUL WANJIRU
Mr Odinga and another presidential hopeful Joseph Nyaga abandoned the lunch they had ordered when the proprietor, Ms Lucy Weru, stormed the dining room and ordered them to leave.
Mr Odinga, Mr Nyaga, Makadara MP Reuben Ndolo, Liberal Democratic Party secretary-general Mumbi Ng’aru and scores of party officials drawn from various parts of central Kenya had checked in at Karatina Tourist Lodge at around 3.30pm for a late lunch.
They had earlier attended the funeral of Mathira constituency LDP branch chairma Peterson Kaburu at Mwanda Village, three kilometres form Karatina Town.
Drama unfolded when Ms Weru, whose daughter is married to President Kibaki’s son David, stormed the premises and started screaming and shouting, "Who brought you here? We do not want ODM here. Can you please leave now? We do not want your money."
Ms Weru hurriedly summoned hotel workers and ordered them to ensure that Mr Odinga and his team were out of the premises in the shortest time possible.
She was overheard shouting in Kiswahili, “Waambie watoke. Na hata akiwa rais asinisaidie” (Tell them to get out and even if he becomes president I do not want his assistance).
Taken aback
Mr Odinga and his party who appeared to have been taken aback by the development left the hotel in a hurry as Ms Ng’aru tried to plead with the proprietor to allow them to leave in peace.
Meanwhile, ODM suffered a blow in Central Province at the weekend when its regional co-ordinator appeared to switch to President Kibaki’s side. Wealthy politician Stanley Githunguri urged Kiambaa constituents to re-elect President Kibaki due to his development record.
Mr Githunguri who is Kiambaa MP Njenga Karume’s key rival for the seat said President Kibaki’s development record for the last four and half years spoke for itself.
“I want us to move together, support the government of His Excellency President Mwai Kibaki up to 2012,” Mr Githunguri told a rally in Ndumberi, Kiambaa constituency.
Mr Githunguri a veteran Kanu member could not, however, tell the political party he will be vying on only saying “days when political parties mattered a lot are long gone.”
“In the new world order, people are elected due to their ability to deliver. There are over 100 registered political parties but I know where your hearts are and I cannot commit political suicide,” Mr Githunguri said.
He hinted that he could move to a popular political party in the area.
Additional reporting by Dave Opiyo
