Raila denies daughter’s ownership of controversial NGO
Nasa presidential candidate Raila Odinga has through his spokesman Dennis Onyango dismissed the letter on freezing of the accounts of an NGO associated with his daughter Rosemary Odinga.
In a statement issued by Mr Onyango, the family said the letter is a fraud and accused the NGO board executive director Fazul Mahamad of targeting the candidate’s children unfairly.
Mr Onyango in the statement stated that the NGO, Key Empowerment Foundation Kenya was never registered and even the list of its board members submitted to the board did not include Rosemary.
“Fazul should be ashamed of himself. He knows that Key Empowerment Foundation Kenya was never registered unless he did it behind our backs, for purposes of character assassination. Key Empowerment Foundation Kenya applied for registration submitted all the requirements in addition to paying the registration fee but is yet to be issued with registration certificate,” wrote Mr Onyango.
The board’s Mr Mahamad had stated that Ms Odinga is listed as the Foundation’s trustee and patron of the NGO, Jaqueline Moraa the chairperson, Meshack Odede, secretary, Harold Omondi, the treasurer and Sandra Adhiambo and Salome Owuonda as board members.
FRAUDULENT
In his letter he had stated that the NGO received Sh530 million from an “aid agency that has funded the foundation is associated with subterfuge political activities globally and nefarious regime change tactics.”
Mr Mahamad had also stated that the person listed as chairperson Ms Moraa had confirmed that Ms Odinga runs the affairs and finances of the Foundation single handedly.
Mr Onyango in his letter said the Foundation was never issued with a certificate of registration and does not have any bank account.
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“Without the certificate, there is no way it could open a bank account and receive the monies alleged. We challenge Mr Fazul to share with Kenyans the actual account numbers he wants frozen. Fazul also knows that even in the application for registration submitted to the NGO Coordination Board, Rosemary Odinga does not appear in the list of the members of the board,” stated Mr Onyango in his statement.
The spokesman went on to state that it was unfair to target Ms Odinga considering that she was recently hospitalized and treated after suffering a stroke that forced her to step down from the Kibra parliamentary seat race.
“Her frailty makes Mr Fazul’s attack all the more disgusting, callous and fraudulent. The family has instructed its lawyer to commence proceedings to in the High Court to have Mr Fazul declared unfit to hold public office because of this fraud. The Odinga family continues to pray for Rosemary and looks forward to the return of her vibrant self,” wrote Mr Onyango.
