A controversial third party spotted in the background of an afternoon tête-à-tête between Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Chairman Francis Atwoli and ODM Party Leader Raila Odinga is social media’s latest talking point.
In the photo that went viral on the evening of Thursday, 16th December 2021, Raila is seen sitting cosy as he overlooks the beach from Atwoli’s luxurious Bofa Ocean View Home in Kilifi County.
“Having a cup of coffee with Baba, at my Bofa Ocean View Home in Kilifi,” the photo was captioned.
But aside from the veteran trade unionist who sat beside Baba, hawk-eyed netizens were quick to note the peculiar presence of another figure outside of the public eye.
Behind one of the three pillars to the left of the open-view shorefront stood a lady who seemed to be hiding from the camera’s view.
”Kuna dame mumeambia ajifiche,” one Kenyan wrote.
Attached to the sneaky reply was a carefully cropped out section of the image which clearly showed the upper body part of a female individual.
The white blouse which matched the colour of the walls almost granted her the perfect camouflage but her ponytailed hair and shiny earrings betrayed her cover.
This immediately sparked a heated conversation under the comments section as some of Raila’s loyal supporters on the platform defended their leader with a myriad of excuses.
Some argued that the lady could have been part of the catering team or Atwoli’s home staff and was simply asked to step away as the photo was taken.
“Obviously they were not serving themselves coffee. There must have been staff,” one claimed.
“Huyo ni muhudumu!” added Akanji Thomas, a vocal and staunch follower of the enigmatic politician who recently announced his fifth presidential bid.
But this was not enough to persuade some members of the public who remained convinced that the presence of the unidentified lady was not merely a coincidence.
“After the main dish, a takeaway is on standby” one joked.
“Wameficha slayqueen, Uhuru alowambia waache hii tabia hawaskii,” replied another.
Raila’s trip to Kilifi comes in the wake of reports that he is taking some time off politics following advice from his doctors.
Ever since the much-publicized Azimio la Umoja conference on December 10, 2021, Raila has not been seen in intense political events.
In an interview with a local publication, he revealed that although he is down at the coast, he has not been holding any political meetings.
The former Prime Minister, however, noted that once he is done with his vacation, he will begin the second phase of his campaigns.
He added he will embark on working on a national movement that will change the political and economical landscape of the country.
