The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party on Tuesday hosted student leaders from various institutions in the country.
Aren't you literate? - Raila's response to student leader who asked about Dynasty versus Hustler politics
Aren't you literate given that you're university students? - Raila
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga
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ODM party leader Raila Odinga was the key speaker during the forum and allowed the student leaders to ask questions concerning the current political climate in the country.
One student sought the former Prime Minister's indulgence over the Hustler versus Dynasties narrative to which Mr Odinga posed: "Aren't you literate? Haven't you ever searched the word 'hustler' in a dictionary?"
He continued: "We're trying to give the word a new meaning here in Kenya, that a hustler is a poor person but that's not the English meaning!
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"What hustler means even when we look at the backgrounds of our first three presidents, is a person who is able to lead despite having come from a poor background," he stated.
The former PM went on to narrate that Kenya's first President Jomo Kenyatta started out as a meter reader, former President Daniel Moi started out as a teacher who had been adopted by missionaries and former President Mwai Kibaki started out as a "manamba" (tout) to pay school fees.
"Jaramogi, my father, could not afford school fees and my grandfather was against education. It was the late Edward Carey Francis, the headmaster of Maseno School who adopted him as he worked at the school during the holidays to raise school fees.
"And yours truly was just engaged in business. I was first a teacher at the University of Nairobi, worked with KEBS, spent years in detention fighting for liberation in our country so is that dynasty or hustler?" Mr Odinga stated.
He added: "What is so special about a person who used to sell chicken? How is he different from Kibaki who was a manamba? Or Nyayo? Or Kenyatta who used to read meters?"
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