Raila Defends NASA's Product Boycott Calls

National Super Alliance (NASA) leader Raila Odinga has defended the calls to boycott products and services from specific companies by the opposition coalition.

Speaking on Monday in Nairobi when he led other opposition leaders in switching their mobile phone lines from Safaricom to Airtel, Raila dismissed claims that the boycott was a witch-hunt, saying it is a way of entrenching electoral justice in Kenya by punishing perpetrators.

Raila arrived at an Airtel shop located along Koinange Street and bought a new line. NASA co-principal Musalia Mudavadi came in later and also got himself an Airtel Sim card. Mudavadi dismissed claims that their boycott call would lead to loss of Jobs, adding that more jobs will, instead, be created.

“If people migrate from one network to the another, they will still be creating jobs. Ours is about a broader cause. It is about electoral justice. Anybody who wants to do business in Kenya must never be involved in subverting the will of the people,” Mudavadi said.

“It is a very well-thought-out process, which requires careful consideration. We must also be able to justify to the public why we are doing it,” he added.

The opposition outfit mentioned Safaricom as one of the firms that played part in an election rigging scheme in the nullified August 8th presidential election.

Brookside Dairy, a firm connected to President Uhuru Kenyatta's family and Bidco are other companies named in Nasa products boycott push.

Nasa accuses the companies of supporting and funding the Jubilee administration in subverting the will of Kenyans at the ballot.