“I stand by everything I said,” Oketch Salah fires back at Winnie Odinga

Businessman Oketch Salah has hit back at East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Winnie Odinga following her sharp criticism of his claims about being present during the final moments of her late father, Raila Odinga.

In a statement posted on his X account on Wednesday morning, Salah, who attached a cordial picture of himself and the late premier, said he stood by his remarks, maintaining that his account of Raila Odinga’s final moments was truthful.

While choosing to remain coy about the specifics of the whole issue, Salah, however, pointed out that he would not retract his assertions but would address them in an interview.

“I watched last night’s interview on Citizen TV with Yvonne Okwara, where Winnie spoke about me. Because of the respect I have for Her Excellency the Ambassador, Mama Ida Min Piny from Migori, I chose to remain quiet. That was a deliberate decision,” Salah said.

The businessman intimated that some issues required clarification, saying, “Some things need clarity. I stand by everything I said about my last moments with Baba. Those moments were real, painful and lived. I will respond in an interview soon.”

His rebuttal came hours after Winnie, in a live interview, flatly dismissed Salah’s past claims that he was with Odinga from the beginning of his illness until his final moments, further referring to himself as Odinga’s adopted son.

Speaking to Citizen TV on Tuesday, Winnie termed Salah’s utterances as ‘false and dangerous’, questioning his intentions and calling for scrutiny of his conduct.

She also clarified that Salah was not present at the time of her father’s death and accused him of fabricating events.

“A flat-out lie that you were there at the time of my father’s death and you were not, and talking about things that did not occur, is quite dangerous and makes me question his intentions,” she said.

“He should be rushed to either Mathare or the DCI with immediate effect,” Winnie said.

Winnie’s brother, Raila Odinga Junior, also weighed in on the exchange, dismissing Salah’s claims in a brief response on social media, writing, “Nonsense.”