The Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga’s remarks on mitumba clothes didn’t go well with everyone causing an uproar on social media.
Netizens expressed mixed reactions depending on the context they understood the remarks, forcing the Azimio team to explain to Kenyans what they meant to clear the confusion.
Kalonzo Musyoka, a top Azimio official is the latest to defend his boss Raila Odinga. He said this while at a rally in Matuu, Machakos County.
“I was there when Raila launched our manifesto. He said Mitumba will continue but it will be manufactured here in Kenya, with our factories as we strengthen the growing of cotton. The whole Azimio respects our Mitumba traders,” he told supporters.
Kalonzo told off rivals from the Kenya Kwanza Alliance for taking the remarks out of context to gain from it and urged them to look for something else as that had backfired.
A day after Raila’s remarks caused an uproar, the Azimio leader came out to clear the air, saying that he was misquoted as he respects all Mitumba traders.
“I hold high regard for Mitumba business. I did not say we will kill the business instead we will empower our textile industries. People should stop peddling propaganda to sell their Narrative for sympathy purposes” Raila wrote.
Others who came out to defend him were Kalonzo’s Ukambani fellow, Hon Charity Ngilu. She explained how the growth of the clothes manufacturing industry would come in handy for Mitumba traders.