Former President Uhuru Kenyatta and Azimio leader Raila Odinga were notably absent from the burial of Chief of Defence Forces Francis Ogolla in Siaya on Sunday.
In the past, both Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga had a close working relationship with General Ogolla. Uhuru notably promoted him to the rank of Lieutenant General and appointed him as Vice Chief of Defence Forces two years ago, a move that played a significant role in his eventual rise to the position of Chief of Defence Forces.
However, Uhuru mourned the fallen soldier on his official platform as an outstanding patriot whose leadership, valor, and dedication to duty left a profound mark on both the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and the nation of Kenya.
An aide to Uhuru informed The Standard that the former President had traveled out of the country two weeks prior to the US in his capacity as the East African Community-led Nairobi Process facilitator. His visit aimed to discuss the progress made in restoring peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“The former president was not in Kenya at the time of the CDF’s passing, which is why he did not attend the burial or the memorial service. However, upon his return, he will make arrangements to visit the widow,” the aide, who requested anonymity as he is not Uhuru’s official spokesperson, conveyed to The Standard over the phone.
Uhuru’s political ally, who asked to remain anonymous because his comments might be linked to the former president, said that the Bomas issue should not have been politicized by the Kenya Kwanza administration and should have remained a matter for the National Security Advisory Committee and the Kenya Defense Forces.
“Their spirited efforts to discuss the Bomas debacle depicts them as leaders who are trying to prove a certain point because the State funeral ought to have remained just that,” he said.
The politician claims that Raila might not have been able to speak about some of the topics that his followers might have wanted him to discuss because of the Bomas scandal and the “mood on the ground.”
“The way the people applauded Senator Oburu and Governor Orengo signals what they wanted to hear and Raila may have avoided going that route due to his working relationship with the Kenya Kwanza regime,” noted the politician.
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