Lang’ata lawmaker Felix Odiwour, popularly as Jalang’o alias Jalas, has said he will join Aziomio leader Raila Odinga in Machakos for the resist rally slated for this Friday.
The first time member of parliament has defended his meeting with President William Ruto at State House on Tuesday saying it was for the good of his constituents in Lang’ata who stand to benefit development wise when he works closely with the government.
In an interview with Spice FM, the MP said political seasons come and go and that politics and development are two different things.
“Soon and very soon, the electorates will be smart enough or are already smart enough and they already know that there is politics and there is development,” Mr Jalang’o said.
Pressed further, he said his Sate House visit was aimed at bringing development closer to his constituents and not about politics.
Jalang’o told Spice FM’s Eric Latiff that although he did not seek Odinga’s clearance before Tuesday’s meeting, the ODM leader had, in the past, assured him that it was okay to join Prewsident Ruto for development-related meetings.
The MP likened political alignment with his employment history where he worked at different radio stations on different terms of employment.
“If you’re not giving me what I want, I move. Life is a movement, join the movement. Forget about all other things,” Mr Jalang’o said.
He said politics will always exist in Kenya.
“They run concurrently, development and politics. It’s just for you to know which direction you are following and at what time.”
Asked whether his surprised meeting with the President was a betrayal to Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition which sponsored him to the Parliament, the MP said that in the end, his constituents will think about development.
“If today, for example, I was with Baba in a rally and there is no water in Lang’ata, the people of Lang’ata will not care what I said in that rally, they will care about water in Lang’ata. If today there is water in Lang’ata and I didn’t show up at Baba’s rally, my ardent supporters, ODM supporters, will not care that I was not there, but that there was water.”
The MP further said that he believed he was made for politics.
He said, “I’m just new in politics and politics not everybody’s cup of tea. That’s why some people come in and after one term and that’s it for them. But I find that this is what I was meant for.”
On Tuesday other Azimio MPs who met the President and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua are Gideon Ochanda (Bondo), Elisha Odhiambo (Gem), Mark Nyamita (Uriri), Caroli Omondi (Suba South), Shakeel Shabir (Kisumu East, Independent), Paul Abuor (Rongo), John Owino (Awendo) and Kisumu Senator Tom Ojienda met with the President amid the resistance movement led by Mr Odinga.
ODM has since disassociated itself from the meeting.
It remains to be seen whether indeed Jalang’o, and the others who attended the State House meeting and who wish to attenfd the Resist rally in Machakos, will be welcome to do so.
