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Tsvangirai to attend Odinga son's burial
11 Jan 2015 at 08:57hrs | Views
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday left for Kenya to attend the burial of the son of his friend and former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Luke Tamborinyoka, Tsvangirai's spokesperson, confirmed that his boss had left for the funeral of Fidel Castro Odinga, who was found dead on Sunday.
"The (MDC) president has gone to Kenya to pay his condolences and attend the funeral of Fidel," he said.
"Mr Odinga is friends with Mr Tsvangirai and he fully supports the democratic process in Zimbabwe. He is our friend in the democratic struggle and that is why he was the guest of honour at our congress in Bulawayo in 2011. As a friend of the democratic struggle, it is only prudent that the MDC be represented at the highest level as we stand by the Odinga family in this sad hour."
The son of Kenya's main opposition leader was found dead in his home near Nairobi, prompting a police investigation and minor unrest in the capital, police and media reports say.
Police said Fidel Castro Odinga, 41, who was seen by political observers as a potential successor to his father, returned home on Saturday night after an evening out drinking with friends and was found dead in his bed on Sunday.
"The death ... is being treated as unexplained. We are investigating his final movements.
"A forensic pathologist has been called in and a post-mortem will be conducted to establish the cause of death," a Kenyan detective said on condition he not be named.
Condolence messages were immediately sent to Odinga by Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta and Vice President William Ruto.
Odinga, a former prime minister, leads the opposition Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) and is an outspoken critic of Kenyatta's government.
Odinga's son will be buried today in the Kenyan region of Kisimu.
Apart from being friends, Tsvangirai and Odinga were both prime ministers in coalition governments formed after disputed elections in Zimbabwe and Kenya that left scores in dead.
As fate would have it, both gentlemen lost their government positions in 2013 after losing elections controversially.
Luke Tamborinyoka, Tsvangirai's spokesperson, confirmed that his boss had left for the funeral of Fidel Castro Odinga, who was found dead on Sunday.
"The (MDC) president has gone to Kenya to pay his condolences and attend the funeral of Fidel," he said.
"Mr Odinga is friends with Mr Tsvangirai and he fully supports the democratic process in Zimbabwe. He is our friend in the democratic struggle and that is why he was the guest of honour at our congress in Bulawayo in 2011. As a friend of the democratic struggle, it is only prudent that the MDC be represented at the highest level as we stand by the Odinga family in this sad hour."
The son of Kenya's main opposition leader was found dead in his home near Nairobi, prompting a police investigation and minor unrest in the capital, police and media reports say.
Police said Fidel Castro Odinga, 41, who was seen by political observers as a potential successor to his father, returned home on Saturday night after an evening out drinking with friends and was found dead in his bed on Sunday.
"The death ... is being treated as unexplained. We are investigating his final movements.
"A forensic pathologist has been called in and a post-mortem will be conducted to establish the cause of death," a Kenyan detective said on condition he not be named.
Condolence messages were immediately sent to Odinga by Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta and Vice President William Ruto.
Odinga, a former prime minister, leads the opposition Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) and is an outspoken critic of Kenyatta's government.
Odinga's son will be buried today in the Kenyan region of Kisimu.
Apart from being friends, Tsvangirai and Odinga were both prime ministers in coalition governments formed after disputed elections in Zimbabwe and Kenya that left scores in dead.
As fate would have it, both gentlemen lost their government positions in 2013 after losing elections controversially.
Source - dailynews
