Crocodile Tears

Raila Odinga’s publicity stunts are endless. Raila Odinga just pulled a new one from his hat. He is using Dr. Wanjiru Kihoro’s death to get attention. He claims that the government ignored Dr. Kihoro when she was alive only to pay her hospital bills when she died. http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143959672

Wanjiru served her country selflessly without expecting payment from anybody. She was a down to earth woman who never used her position in society to grab wealth (at least from what is in the public domain). Before she was involved in the plane crash, Wanjiru worked with a number of organizations and was independent of government handouts. It is therefore insulting for Raila to insinuate that Wanjiru expected the government to pay for her selfless service to this nation. It is due to the Raila-like mindset (our time to eat) that MPs rewarded their “2nd liberation” efforts with an obscene pay.

Raila told the press that Dr. Wanjiru was on her way Jaramogi Oginga Odinga anniversary celebrations -where she was to be a guest- when the accident occured. He also praised the Kihoro family for sheltering him when he was in exile. This makes Raila the best candidate to help the family in this hour of need. We never heard of Raila visiting Wanjiru during her four year struggle in the hospital. It is a shame that he has come out of the woods to shed crocodile tears.

Raila claims that the government should have given the Kihoros jobs in return for their financial support to the Kibaki campaign. Raila was the minister for Housing and Public Works long before that sad day when Wanjiru’s plane crashed. Judging from the amount of concern Raila has shown for the Kihoro family, one expects him to have given them a job in the ministry which happened to be part of the government. But he did not. Now Raila wants to tell us that there is something called government of which, ministers are not party to. That makes the president the government!

If my memory is not playing games with me, I remember Wanyiri Kihoro serving in the Ndung’u commission on Land. Was it not Raila who complained that the commission was full of GEMA? Today he wants to eat his cake and have it too!!

While still talking of jobs and government appointments, I am reminded that it a corrupt practice for people to fund campaigns then get government contracts and jobs as in return. Raila has been preaching this ever since he was dropped as minister. He has been among the people who have been complaining that Kibaki was appointing Muthaiga Golf Club buddies into government posts. Today he is saying that anybody who supported the Narc should be given somewhere to “eat from”.

By the way; doesn’t Raila own multi million chemical plants? As a friend to Wanyiri Kihoro, Raila should employ him a company lawyer. That makes sense. But no! Raila is not concerned about Wanyiri’s welfare. The death of Dr. Wanjiku has presented him with an opportunity to make noise and he will not hesitate to milk the last drop out of it.

May be Raila should consider hiring Wanyiri as his legal advisor and fire disbarred advocate Otieno Kajwang’ who lost his license after he stole from his client.

Raila should let Dr. Wanjiru Kihoro rest in peace. Her contribution to our country will be missed. Even though Wanjiru has taken a rest, the seeds she planted around the globe continue to grow.