Wanga to Gachagua: Let Raila rest, you had vowed to kill him yourself

ODM party National chairperson Gladys Wanga has hit out at the former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua after he questioned the circumstances surrounding the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Speaking during a development tour at Nyakiamo stadium on Wednesday, the Homa Bay governor told Gachagua to respect Raila Odinga and stop mocking the Luo community following the death of the former ODM party leader.

Wanga warned the DCP party leader against dragging the name of the late Odinga into his political campaigns and instead focus on strengthening his own political party.

The governor said Gachagua was a fierce critic of Raila Odinga when he was alive, accusing him of supporting government actions against the former opposition leader during anti-government protests.

“Leave Baba Raila Amolo Odinga alone to rest in peace in heaven. We have not forgotten that one day you woke up at 5:00 AM and said that if Raila goes to protests, you yourself will kill him. That day, Baba's car was hit by ten bullets! They almost killed him. You, Gachagua, said Baba must be sent back to Bondo. That it was the only job you had left,” said Wanga.

The ODM chairperson further argued that the former Deputy President has never condoled with the Odinga family since their patriarch’s demise.

“You have never set foot where Baba Raila Amolo Odinga is buried. You have never set foot in Karen to offer your condolences to Mama Ida Odinga. But every day, ever since Baba was laid to rest, you wake up every single day with rumors, chaos, lies, malice, reckless statements, careless statements, useless statements, in the name of Baba Raila Amolo Odinga! We want to tell you Gachagua, do your politics without touching the name of Baba Raila Amolo Odinga!” she added.

Speaking to the press on Tuesday during an address assessing the Kenya Kwanza administration's performance, Gachagua raised a series of questions surrounding the deaths of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Chief of Defence Forces General Francis Ogolla, and Emurua Dikirr Member of Parliament Johana Ng'eno, all of which have occurred within the past four years.

Gachagua leveled a series of specific queries concerning the circumstances surrounding Odinga's death, suggesting irregularities in medical oversight and funeral arrangements that deviated from Luo cultural traditions.

Wanga dismissed the remarks as reckless and inciteful, warning that such statements should not be tolerated.

The governor also ruled out any possibility of ODM entering into a political coalition with Gachagua ahead of the 2027 General Election, saying the former Deputy President's political approach promotes exclusion.

She maintained that ODM will approach the coming elections from a position of strength, expressing confidence that the party will secure several elective seats across the country.