Obama’s Next Scrutinized Associate Raila Odinga

April 28th, 2008

Raila Odinga is the Prime Minister of Kenya and head of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) who is accused by human rights watch of coordinating ethnic based cleansing in the country after the countries disputed 2007 presidential elections. In 1982 he was also convicted of treason and thrown in prison after plotting a failed coup attempt against then president Daniel Arap Moi.

Odinga claims that Senator Barack Obama is his cousin. Obama campaigned for Odinga who was found to have entered into a secret arrangement to impose Sharia (Muslim) law on a country that is overwhelmingly Christian.

After violence erupted in Kenya following the elections, Obama reached out to the leader.

Violence erupted in the wake of the disputed elections throughout the Rift Valley and the west of the country as angry citizens burned and looted factories, shops and homes, and chased those perceived to be supporters of Kibaki (mostly, but not exclusively, members of his Kikuyu tribe) away. Kikuyu homes in the Rift Valley have been selectively burned and Kikuyu residents killed. Thirty people were burned to death in a church near Eldoret where they had been seeking shelter.

The police confirmed the deaths of 526 people nationwide, including 81 shot by police officers, but independent estimates suggest that the total figure could be much higher. Thousands of Kikuyu and members of other tribes have been displaced and are in the process of leaving the region if they can.

With Obama making his potential to reach out to world leaders and influence despots the question does remain, if he cannot help control his cousin how can he work with the leaders of Iran or Cuba?

Sphere: Related Content

Posted in Election 2008 |