By Nicholas Olambo
Since Jubilee acquired ODM Leader Raila Odinga through the handshake, the former PM has repeatedly been used as a ‘rubber stamp’ to authenticate funny projects that cause public uproar. He toured the 7billion shilling project and gave it a clean bill of health. A project he initially described as a ploy by the jubilee administration to steal from public coffers.
He said that the project is not a white elephant as purported and that no funds were embezzled. Galena Kulalu project performed way below expectation and the government was criticized for wasting public funds on such a hurriedly thought and poorly executed project.
Opposition chief was on it to win public hearts to embrace the unpopular project the same way he did to ‘HUDUMA NUMBER’. The National Irrigation Board and an Israeli company Green Arava that is contracted to put the 10,000 acre under irrigation have been at opposite ends.
NIB accused the contractor of moving equipment, accusations the company through its chairman Yavir Kedar refuted as baseless and that they are still on the ground. Odinga’s presence at the project was to seal wrangles as such stalling the white elephant project. For PR reason, Mr. Kedar also emphasized that they never left, they are on a good progress having spent over 5 billion shillings on the project.
The enigma who plays Jubilee’s flower boy lately was in the company of Tana River Governor Dhadho Godhana, his Kilifi counterpart Amason Kingi and NIB Chairman Joshua Toro. This will not be the last project he will tour to give a clean bill of health. ODM Leaders likes cameras, he will tour more for political mileage and front pages in dailies.
