RAILA APOLOGIZES AFTER GOONS DISRUPTED KALONZO PRESSER AT JARAMOGI OGINGA ODINGA FOUNDATION
Azimio leader Raila Odinga has apologized to the media fraternity after journalists were roughed up by goons at the coalition’s function held at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation (JOOF) offices in Nairobi on Wednesday.
The fracas occurred when rowdy youth disrupted an ODM-Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya media briefing after leaders disagreed on whether to engage in national dialogue talks with President William Ruto.
Raila, in a statement issued by his spokesman, Dennis Onyango, on Thursday morning, assured the journalists and leaders caught up in the unfortunate incident that his party will investigate the matter and ensure it will never happen again in the future.
“Hon Raila Odinga regrets the events of yesterday and takes this early opportunity to offer unreserved apologies to the journalists and fellow leaders who got caught up in the unfortunate incident,” read the statement.
Raila, who is also the leader of the Orange Democratic Movement Party, said that Azimio would establish how the goons passed security and interrupted the event.
“Raila assures the journalists and fellow leaders that the coalition will take stock of the events and seal loopholes that led to the security breach to ensure that journalists and leaders remain safe and free at all Azimio functions, including those at the same venue,” further reads the statement.
ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna who was also in the meeting but left before the goons arrived also condemned the attacks.
The youths had descended at the venue when the Azimio chief Kalonzo Musyoka was addressing journalists and claimed they would not tolerate any leader disrespecting Raila.
Kalonzo was addressing the press in a company of budalang’i MP, Raphael Wanjala and Migori Woman Representative, Mohammed Fatuma among others, Former Jubilee Secretary General, Raphael Tuju was also present
As the former vice-president was addressing the crowd of rowdy youths turned rowdy, picked chairs from under the tents threw them towards the leaders and journalists as they chanted pro-Raila slogans.
This is before youths, who were claiming they would not accept any coalition principal to disrespect Raila, drove the leaders and journalists out of the compound with some scribes getting hit by plastic chairs.
“Nobody disrespects Raila when we are alive, no press conference here,” the youths shouted as they turn chairs down upside.
