Jubilee lawmakers in the National Assembly are all praises after rallying behind the appointment of Raila Odinga’s elder brother Dr Oburu Oginga to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).
Oginga is among nine politicians from Kenya appointed to represent the country at the Arusha based Assembly.
Given his political affiliation and a big critic of Jubilee administration, the thought that the MPs could rally behind him was inconceivable.
However, in the end, he garnered 243 votes coming in fourth after Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka’s son, Kennedy Musyoka who polled 309.
Jubilee allied legislators, according to Daily Nation, considered Dr. Oginga’s vast experience in the academia and also in politics.
Dr. Oginga, now 74 years old is a PhD holder in economics. He was first elected as MP for Bondo in 1994, a position he took over from his late father Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.
Even before the vote was called, Jubilee through Leader of Majority Aden Duale had made a pact to support Dr. Oginga’s appointment to EALA as well as that of Kennedy.
This was to bridge the sharp political differences between Jubilee and NASA and also show that there is nothing personal between Jubilee leadership and the two who were clamouring to represent Kenya at EALA.
A Jubilee MP who requested for anonymity added: “We wanted to signal that we mean well even as we compete.”
But Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro said despite the heavy political and academic credentials Dr. Oginga has under his belt, most people supported him because there were no youths who came out to seek the seats.
“I have heard many youth complaining why MPs voted for Oburu, the youths did not even present their candidature, so how could we vote for people who are absent.
So many youth are on Facebook and Twitter complaining about the old people taking leadership position and thinking that such positions will be handed over to them without hard work,” he said.
Jubilee’s Simon Mbugua polled 286 while Florence Jematiah polled 252.
Others elected on the Jubilee Party ticket are former Mandera North MP Aden Nooru Mohammed (192), former Tigania East MP Mpuru Aburi (208) and former Nyandarua Woman Rep Wanjiku Muhia (180).
Elected on the Nasa ticket were: former Balambala MP Abdikadir Aden (235) and former Wajir Woman Rep Fatuma Ibrahim Ali (142).