NASA leader Raila Odinga on Wednesday forced to make last
minute security changes during his much publicised visit to the United States.
Odinga arrived in Washington DC on Wednesday morning after
which he held private meeting House and Senate Congressional Committee
official. He is reported to have briefed the officials on the current political
situation in Kenya.
The former Prime Minister was also expected to deliver a
keynote speech on Thursday at 9.30am DC time (about 5.30pm Kenyan time).
However, on Wednesday night, Odinga’s handlers learnt
that a group of Jubilee supporters was planning on holding protests outside the
headquarters of Center for Strategic and International Studies where the
keynote speech was scheduled to take place.
The NASA team had to make frantic calls, requesting all NASA
supporters across the United States to make it to DC and counter the Jubilee
supporters.
A similar incident had happened in London where
Jubilee supporters protested as Odinga delivered a speech at Chatham House.
“Nasarites, come out in large numbers to welcome Baba and
also to counter Jubilee supporters ...,” a message sent out on a NASA WhatsApp
read in part.
By the time of publishing this article, DC was still asleep
and it remains to be seen how the NASA leader’s address will go on.
However, apart from the address, the Opposition chief will
have a busy schedule where he will hold meetings with various stakeholders.
On Friday, Odinga will be Cococabana Bar and Grill in Hyattsville,
Maryland where his supporters between 6 and 8pm.
On Saturday afternoon, he will head to St Patrick’s High
School in New Jersey where he will have a town hall meeting with Kenyans in the
US. He will later preside over a Sh10, 000 dinner dance organised by the NASA
US team.
