The State House Nairobi has refuted media reports that MPs allied to ODM party leader Raila Odinga skipped a meeting organised by President William Ruto as an act of defiance.
The Nairobi MPs, according to a local publication, had been invited for a meeting at the State House by the President but failed to show up.
This comes despite the opposition party having been co-opted into the Kenya Kwanza administration, with four senior ODM members being appointed as cabinet secretaries.
In a statement on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed termed the reports as “misleading, mischievous and baseless”.
“We have taken note of the splash story in the ‘Daily Nation’ today Wednesday 11th September 2024, titled “Why Raila MPs skipped Ruto meeting.” The story is not only misleading but also mischievous and baseless,” Mohamed said.
According to Mohamed, some MPs accompanied Ruto to State House for an informal lunch after the head of state had inspected affordable housing projects in Kibera on Monday, September 9, 2024.
“On Monday, 9th September 2024, President William Ruto inspected the progress of the 4,054-unit Kibera Soweto East Zone B Affordable Housing Project in Nairobi County. After the event, the MPs in attendance accompanied the President to State House for an informal lunch,” he stated.
“Contrary to the story by ‘Daily Nation’, there was no formal meeting as suggested. State House communicates or invites MPs or any other individuals or groups through official channels only. For ‘Daily Nation’ to base its story on a source outside these official channels is both misleading and irresponsible.”
MPs who accompanied Ruto
Among the opposition MPs who accompanied Ruto during the tour include Makadara MP George Aladwa, Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi, Phelix Odiwuor alias Jalango (Lang’ata) and Nairobi Woman Rep Esther Passaris.
ODM legislators who skipped the tour and the luncheon include Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, MPs Anthony Oluoch (Mathare), Peter Orero (Kibra), Babu Owino (Embakasi East), Tom Kajwang’ (Ruaraka) and Tim Wanyonyi (Westlands).
Sifuna, in response to Mohamed’s statement, accused him of lying.
“You are lying Omwami,” Sifuna said.
