A seemingly ordinary lunch at Serena Hotel turned into a dramatic showdown when former ODM Party Executive Director Wafula Buke refused to eat with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga—sparking whispers of betrayal, snubs, and political intrigue.
Buke, alongside media personality Ronny Raburu, Mwongera Muthamia, and Jakaya Kikwete’s youth leader, had spent a week in Tanzania on an assignment from Raila.
But when Raila arrived from Zambia and invited them for lunch at Serena, tensions erupted at the table.
According to Buke, Winnie Odinga, Raila’s daughter, singled out only him and Raburu to join the former PM.
“But Winnie, we are four,” Buke reportedly protested. “Just following instructions,” she replied.
At the table, Raila and his inner circle, including Job Omino’s son, were already eating.
Buke said he tried to explain that the rest of the team was seated nearby, but Raila ignored him.
“Sir, we are a team of four,” Buke insisted, but there was no acknowledgment.
Buke silently signaled Raburu not to order food. Both men refused to eat, insisting that a true leader should honor his entire team.
Raila and his entourage finished the meal alone.
The team later proceeded to a private meeting upstairs—but the sting of the lunch snub lingered.
The drama, Buke revealed, was linked to internal politics. “We later learned that Orange House had bad-mouthed one of us.
Though Oduor O'ngwen apologized, Muthamia never forgave him,” Buke wrote, hinting at the deep rifts within the party’s inner circle.
The incident adds a human twist to tales of political solidarity and leadership lessons.
Buke also recalled Jaramogi’s time in America, when the Vice President refused special treatment and demanded to be released with fellow civil rights activists—a stark contrast to the Serena lunch episode.
“This story reminds us of the need for solidarity,” Buke concluded, sending a subtle jab at Orange House while wishing friends a Merry Christmas.