A recent visit by Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga to State House has sparked a wave of speculations and controversies within the country’s political landscape.
Vihiga Senator Geoffrey Osotsi has now come forward to shed light on the situation.
Osotsi clarified that Raila Odinga attended the State Dinner not as a guest of President William Ruto, as widely assumed, but as a friend of the Royal family and the official leader of the Opposition in Kenya.
“You remember very well that Raila Odinga was visited by the new Ambassador of the UK to Kenya Neil Wigan on October 12, and that is the time the ambassador officially invited Raila Odinga to that event to meet the King.
“So, Raila Odinga was not in State House courtesy of the invitation of President William Ruto or any of these UDA people. He was there as a guest of the King, leader of the Opposition and a friend of the Royal family,” Osotsi said.
Senator Osotsi emphasized that Raila Odinga’s attendance at State House should not be politicized.
He stated that State House belongs to all Kenyans and that every citizen has the right to visit the iconic residence.
Osotsi called on political leaders, especially those allied with President Ruto, to refrain from making unnecessary controversies out of Raila’s visit.
He stressed that such visits are part of diplomatic protocols and should be understood within that context.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka also weighed in on the matter, clarifying that certain influential leaders, like Raila Odinga, are often invited when important guests, such as His Majesty King Charles, visit the country.
“At the level of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, I can tell you some of us are on a standing list that we would be invited in the event of an important guest like his Majesty King Charles. It should not be seen beyond that,” he said.
