The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has called out Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale after claims that he snubbed its leader Raila Odinga during the burial ceremony of the mother of Governor Fernandes Barasa on Monday, October 31.

The outspoken legislator said, in a tweet, that he met Raila at the burial but did not exchange pleasantries with him because the long-serving opposition leader was still bitter after his loss in the August presidential election.

“Today I met with the Azimio honcho. Pissed off with me! Nevertheless, I ignored him, happily going on to greet and exchange niceties with Kalonzo Musyoka. Watu wawache hasira ya kupoteza kura (People should stop being angry for losing elections),” Khalwale captioned a photo of him and Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka exchanging pleasantries at the burial with Raila looking in the opposite direction.

But in a swift rejoinder, the ODM party accused the senator of being ‘petty’.

While seemingly dismissing Khalwale’s claims that Raila didn’t warm up to him, ODM also shared a photo of Khalwale and Raila sharing a hearty handshake

“When a leader chooses to be petty, he becomes useless,” ODM responded to Khalwale’s tweet.

When a leader chooses to be petty, he becomes useless… https://t.co/mfIVnTtxtS pic.twitter.com/CEF1ZnKU2H

— The ODM Party (@TheODMparty) October 31, 2022

Khalwale is a member of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party that supported President William Ruto’s presidential bid in the August election.

Meanwhile, speaking at the same function in Kakamega, Raila faulted the Judiciary for the imprisonment of Sirisia MP John Waluke over fraud.

Waluke and his business partner Grace Wakhungu were thrown back to jail early this month after the High Court dismissed their appeals in the Ksh297 maize fraud case.

Raila claimed Waluke’s 67-year jail sentence was unfair.

He said the case against Waluke was civil in nature and should not have attracted such a “punitive sentence”.

Raila claimed that the legislator’s case was less serious compared to high-profile matters against senior state officers withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji recently.

Just like other leaders who have more serious cases in court, Raila said, Waluke deserves a fair hearing and treatment.

He demanded that the Court of Appeal grants Waluke bail before the case is eventually ‘thrown out’.

“Watu ambo walikuwa wameshtakiwa na mauaji sasa wanasamehewa. Wengine iko kesi ya mauaji ambayo bado iko active anapitishwa anakuwa waziri. Mwingine wanasema kesi yake ya Ksh12 billion alikua ameekelewa tu. Lakini kwa upande mwingine huku watu wetu wananyanyaswa.

“Sirisia MP Hon. John Waluke kesi yake ilikuwa ni kama civil case manake yeye walidai pesa na wakalipwa. Badala ya kusema hiyo pesa ulilipwa kwa njia si nzuri rudisha anafungwa miaka 67. Si ni fitina? Hiyo ni haki kweli? Tunataka Waluke apewe bond alafu hiyo kesi itupiliwe mbali,” Raila said.

Loosely translated, “We are seeing some people who were facing murder charges being freed. Some have active murder cases but they have been allowed to serve in the Cabinet. They are also saying the other one who was facing Ksh12 billion graft case is innocent but on the other hand, our people are being punished.”

“Sirisia MP John Waluke’s case was more of a civil matter because he had claimed some payment and he was paid. Instead of telling him to return the money paid irregularly you sentence him to 67 years in jail. Is it fair?”