Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga’s official twitter handle on Saturday night sent out a tweet that has left many in confusion.
In a rare act from the leader’s formal communications handle, the account in a reply to an engagement post from a local digital publisher, left many struggling to get a clear understanding of his post.
Political commentator Prof. Makau Mutua’s call for the resignation of the Deputy President William Ruto was the subject matter in the post which attracted the response from Mr Odinga.
“It is clear William Ruto is at war with Uhuru Kenyatta. Otherwise how do you accuse your boss of destroying you? It is time to resign. That is what Oginga Odinga did under Mzee Kenyatta,” the professor of law had stated in the post by the local publisher.
In a reply to the post, the former Prime Minister’s account handler at 10:30PM, Saturday March 7, 2020 said, “We are entering a dangerous but decisive phase of this tragedy. The mercenaries have dug in and are daring for a fight. I believe we should determine the time, terms and conditions of engagement.”
It remains unclear whether it was the communications personnel at Mr Odinga’s office that were responsible for the tweet whose screenshots were making rounds on social media in minutes.
Senate Majority leader Kipchumba Murkomen could not comprehend the Odinga tweet. He appeared uncertain of the fact that the tweet appeared to concur with Prof Makau’s views that Ruto had embarked on a fight against his boss.
Murkomen sought city lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi’s help with his response attracting a reaction from former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga.
“Very interesting…the take away words..”dangerous but decisive phase“, “this tragedy“, “mercenaries..daring…fight“, “time, terms, conditions of engagement“…BABA is a General…that is why he uses military jargon that are Napoleonic and Leninist…and STALINIST… ” stated Ahmednasir in response to Murkomen’s plea for help.
The former Chief Justice on the other hand called for caution among Kenyans. He appealed to tweeps not to be easily made to go into war or peace at the will of their leaders, who he describes as ethnicists.
“I have always insisted that its the ethnicists and their barons who decide when Kenya should be in war or peace. Kenyans should deny the barons both options going forward,” wrote Mutua.
The heated debate had emerged from remarks made by the deputy president in Nakuru during the burial of Sgt Kenei, an officer murdered under unclear circumstances in an alleged military equipment acquisition deal.
DP Ruto had accused the director of criminal investigations of using the probe into the death of the officer to undermine his office.
