Africa-Press – Kenya. Azimio la Umoja presidential candidate Raila Odinga on Saturday urged women to turn out in large numbers and vote for him in the August 9 polls.
Speaking in Kilgoris, Narok County, Raila said he has done his part by choosing Karua to deputize him and asked women to reciprocate the gesture by voting for them.
“Jukumu ni kwenu wamama sasa. Nataka kuona kura ya wamama sasa. Nimeleta mama, nataka kuona wamama wakijitokeza, ili wao wenyewe waonyeshe ya kwamba wako tayari,” Raila said.
Loosely translated into: “The ball is now in your court women. I want to see your votes. I brought to you a woman, I want to see you turn up and demonstrate that you are ready.”
The ODM leader said he is ready to work with women and give them a chance, just like Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame has done, to transform Kenya.
In 2019, Kagame recalled Jeanette Nyiramongi to deputize him, after years of falling out.
Raila gave examples of different women across the world who have made a difference in politics and said women are a special force of change.
“Kwa hivo si eti wanawake wanaweza tu kuwa Deputy President. Wanaweza pia kuwa President wa Jamhuri ya Kenya,” he added.
Loosley translated to: “So it is not just that women can be Deputy President, they can also be the President of the Republic of Kenya.”
Raila, like the leaders who spoke before him during the Kilgoris meeting, criticised Ruto for referring to Karua in a seemingly derogatory manner.
“It is folly to disrespect women especially since we all come from them. Someone who is capable of disrespecting them is not worthy of being a Kenyan President,” Raila said.
On Monday during the naming of Karua, Raila said he chose her because she is a fighter and narrated how Karua fought for her in court when he was detained in 1990.
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