Africa-Press – Kenya. Azimio leader Raila Odinga has told off President William Ruto and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over their insistence that time for politicking is over.
The ODM leader said politicians were elected purposely to do politics and there can never be a time they are expected to stop doing what they are paid to do.
“You’ve been told the time for politics is over, now it’s time for development. I believe I’m addressing a team of politicians. If time for politics is over, there’s no job for Members of Parliament,” Raila said.
“If the time for politics is over, then close Parliament and let the bureaucrats continue doing development,” he added. Raila spoke on Thursday when addressing the Azimio Parliamentary Group meeting at Maanzoni Lodge in Machakos county.
Without mentioning him by name, Raila dismissed Lang’ata MP Phelix Odiwour’s justification of his visit to State House that he was there for development and not political reasons.
“Politics and development are intertwined. This is what you are paid for, you are paid to politics. The work of politicians is too political and politics is the development and that’s why there is no need for politicians to go and beg for development, that’s the right of Kenyans,” he said.
Jalang’o has come under fire after he accompanied eight Nyanza politicians on Tuesday to meet Ruto for a breakfast meeting at State House. The youthful MP defended the visit saying he was following up on development projects the president has initiated in his constituency.
“The president called me because contractors are getting on-site now at Lang’ata Soweto zone B, and construction is starting. So just like he came to launch it he told me the signings were happening, and that was it.
“We have to learn how to differentiate politics and development,” Jalang’o said. During the Azimio PG, the MP was thrown out of the meeting when Raila arrived.
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