Friday, March 18, 2022 – ODM Leader Raila Odinga has denied ever receiving a single cent from President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government to fund his trip to the United Kingdom.
Speaking at Chatham House UK on Wednesday, Raila revealed that he used his personal money to fund his UK trip unlike Deputy President William Ruto whose recent trip to the US and UK was fully funded by taxpayers’ money.
According to Raila, his air ticket plus those of his entourage were never purchased by the government but by himself.
While dismissing the notion that the opposition joined the government after the handshake, Raila pointed out if that was true, then the government would have funded his trip.
“What is so-called ‘government is in opposition living in officialdom. The DP spent over Sh100 million. He is traveling on taxpayers’ money with all the entourage he came with.”
“I had to pay my travel expenses to come here. The government has paid for none of the people who have accompanied. He (Ruto) cannot be a government in opposition,” he said.
The former prime minister castigated DP Ruto for claiming that the handshake killed the opposition, saying the opposition has continued to play its role even after the handshake.
“We remain what is known here as ‘Her majesty’s loyal opposition. We don’t just oppose for the sake of opposing but oppose and also offer constructive alternatives.
“This is what has been happening in Kenya. There have been fallacious statements that we have opposition in government and government in opposition,” said Raila.
Speaking at Chatham House last week, DP Ruto had blasted the handshake, saying it had rendered the current administration ‘a mongrel of a government system.’
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