ODM, the Orange Democratic Movement party, has responded to South African opposition leader Julius Malema’s remarks about Raila Odinga and the recent anti-government protests in Kenya.
Malema had told off Odinga, stating that President William Ruto was democratically elected and criticizing Odinga for disrupting Kenya.
In a statement, ODM secretary-general Edwin Sifuna called Malema ignorant of Kenya’s political scene and a victim of Kenya Kwanza administration’s propaganda.
“It is clear that Comrade Malema, watching Kenya from a distance, is not familiar with the delicate socio-political fault lines in our nation, and makes the faulty assumption that his approach in fighting injustices in South Africa can be replicated here,” said Sifuna.
“If he was seized of the facts, he would know that Kenya is largely a dictatorship falsely basking in the sun of democracy, in which nearly all elections since 2007 have been fraudulent, and where the wrong president has been sworn in each time.”
He pointed out that Kenya has faced issues of electoral fraud and government oppression, making it different from the post-apartheid South Africa Malema is familiar with.
Sifuna highlighted the similarities between EFF and ODM in fighting against government oppression but clarified that the recent protests in Kenya were against high taxes, rising cost of living, and government refusal to listen to the people.
He invited Malema to visit Kenya for a first-hand experience of the challenges faced by Kenyans.
Last year, Malema had written a congratulatory message to President Ruto after the contested election, urging Odinga to accept the results and contain his supporters.
However, Odinga refused to concede defeat and has been leading anti-government protests in recent months.
Both leaders’ factions have agreed to another round of bipartisan talks to address their differences, led by former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo.
Previous talks in April and May had broken down, with accusations of sabotage from both sides.
The upcoming dialogue seeks to find a resolution to the issues raised during the protests and work towards national stability and progress.
