Leaked Files: Raila’s ODM Held Meetings With Cambridge Analytica Too And Agreed To Work Only Under One Condition

Leaked emails from UK based firm Cambridge Analytica (CA) now show the consultancy company initially approached Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) hitching to manage his presidential campaign in the 2013 General Elections in Kenya. ODM, however, was not openly receptive of the idea and hence the disgraced lobby group approached Uhuru Kenyattas The National Alliance Party (TNA).

The documents obtained by Kenya Insights which were leaked by whistleblower site HindsightFiles show back and forth emails that indicate the company drafted the Raila led ODM a proposal that would see them win the 2013 General Elections. ODM, however, had confidence they would win that election and declined, offering to work with Cambridge Analytica in 2017 when they were already in office.

“As a quick reminder, whilst working for Jimnah, he got me a meeting with the seemingly all of Odinga’s senior staff and they were interested,”an email dated 5th January 2015 reads.

“We had a fruitful engagement which led to a meeting with Marcus Beltran of SCL and Orange Democratic Movement ODM top brass who included the Former Prime Minister’s Permanent Secretary Mohammed Isahakia.” Another email reads, “It was truly unfortunate that ODM were too confident and thought that the services of SCL would best serve them in 2017 elections when they were already in power. The results of their overconfidence is well known.”

ODM lost the General elections.

The consultancy company emails further show that the Raila camp ODM was in communication with some CA top employees ahead of the 2017 General Elections and willing to get CA’s services after missing out in 2013.

But CA was at the time not willing to work with Raila’s since their deal with TNA now the Jubilee PArty was still in play and offering a huge payout. The CA would opt to stick to their original candidate.

After losing again to President Kenyatta’s Jubilee, Raila and his camp accused CA of election malpractice and threatened to sue.